In Darkness
by dksculder
Summary: Mulder is working on a case that Scully is heavily involved in. Can he help her, and will she trust him as their relationship grows?
1. Chapter 1

There was a lot of excitement happening around him, college kids stumbling out of bars. Washington D.C. was always known to be a distinguished tourist location, given the history, but the real people who lived here were the ones that truly gave the city its charm. He slumped further in the driver's seat, cracking open another handful of seeds with his teeth. He was far enough away from the midnight crowds to remain unnoticed, but close enough to watch the twilight come to life.

The door to his backseat opened, startling him as he automatically went to protect himself. A woman climbed in, sitting for a moment as she closed her eyes and willed the tears not to come. He did a double take, admiring her bright red hair and fair skin that was tinged pink from the cold air.

"I'm sorry." She finally spoke, a low voice filling the silent cab.

"Where to?" He didn't know what he was doing, why he was willing to play the part of taxi driver when he was supposed to be on a stakeout. At least he knew his cover was working.

"I - I don't know." The tears filled her eyes again, and he couldn't look away. She was enchanting.

"Are you okay?"

"No." Her voice became firm, as if she were gaining her own confidence. "But I will be."

"I can just drive around, until you find a good place to stop." He offered, turning in his seat to face her. Glossed, blue eyes met his, wet with unshed tears as she gave him a small smile.

"I don't want to waste your time. I'm sorry." She opened the door, ready to leave. "I don't know why I jumped in the cab, I just needed to get away."

He took a moment to look around at his surroundings, noting he had parked closer to Georgetown hospital. A slight nod indicated his understanding, but he couldn't let her go just yet.

"It wouldn't be a waste of time. More like my lucky night, to spend even a few more minutes with a lovely lady." She scoffed, shaking her head as she attempted to mask the small smirk touching her lips.

"I don't even think I have my wallet." She began searching around her, realizing she had left everything in her hurry to get away. He turned off the meter on the cab, not that it was connected to anything, and she visibly relaxed.

"Consider it your lucky night, too, then."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" The skepticism entering her mind as her moment of vulnerability began to dissipate. Her question was posed with an eyebrow raised in his direction. He flashed her a grin in response.

"It looks like you can use a friend." He shrugged.

"And who might my new friend be?"

"Uh - George, George Hale."

"Mr. Hale, I couldn't possibly take you away from a night of business. The streets will be flowing with intoxicated college students soon who will need rides." She tried to explain, the thought that she climbed into a strange car and was now on the verge of considering spending more time with this man. There was something about him that was comforting to her. The obvious attempt to flirt with her not going unnoticed. He either didn't see her wedding ring, or he genuinely was just trying to be a nice guy. The news report that she watched in the doctor's lounge now entering her mind, there was a serial rapist and murderer on the loose as well. Her walls were going up with every passing second. "I should really go."

"Wait -" He watched as she tensed at the sudden objection. "I don't know if you're from the area, but there's been women disappearing, and I personally wouldn't feel comfortable letting you out here right now."

"I'll just go back to the hospital." She said with trepidation in her voice. No doubt Daniel was still waiting for her to end her tantrum and return with an apology she knew she damn well didn't owe him. In all honesty, she wanted to be as far away from him as possible after what she had to endure.

"That doesn't sound convincing enough for me to feel comfortable with that either." She met his eyes with a question, this stranger couldn't possibly understand her. "I'm not trying to do anything other than offer a free ride somewhere safe."

"I don't know where that is anymore." Her eyes filled with tears again, the door open with her hand still gripping the handle. She met his eyes again, seeing the kind, hazel gaze warming her.

"Please." He begged, hoping his charm that people seemed to think he had was working on this petite woman. She was strong, he could tell that much, but there was something gentle that he could see inside her, and she didn't deserve what she was going through. She nodded, closing the door as she shifted into the backseat. He let out a heavy sigh, driving to a spot that he had hoped would bring her some kind of serenity.

He parked his car on the empty curb, no one around but the locals who frequented the national mall. Rushing around to the passenger side rear door, he reached it just in time to hold it open for her. She gave him another eyebrow raised, questioning look, but allowed the chivalrous act. He led her towards the spot with a tender hand resting on her back, a move that startled her at first. Without thinking, he mentally chastised himself, he was trying to make her feel safe. He relaxed as he felt her exhale a heavy sigh and slightly relax into his touch.

"So you know my name, do I have the pleasure of knowing yours?" He ventured as they walked past several monuments.

"You can call me...Scully." She answered with pursed lips as if she were questioning the name herself. It didn't seem foreign to her, but almost as if she hadn't used it in a while.

"I like that." He smiled at her, causing her cheeks to color as she turned from his gaze. "So tell me, Scully, are you a tourist or a local?"

"What do you think?" She challenged, a playful gleam in her eyes. He stroked his chin with his free hand, the thought process for dramatic effect. She chuckled, hiding the small sound with the back of her mouth.

"I'd say you've been here before, and what I'm about to show you won't be as impressive as I thought, but you don't live here."

"And what gave that away?"

"Well, you hopped in the first cab you saw, even if it had its lights off, which tells me you're from a bigger city." He caught her wide-eyed stare at the confession of his cab not operating when she stumbled upon it. "New York?"

"Wow. You should be working for the police, or the FBI with those kind of instincts." She huffed. He let out a hearty chuckle.

"They wouldn't want a loner like me. When you drive cabs for as long as I have, you learn how people operate. You can tell someone's story from the minute they enter your car."

"Do tell, what is my story?"

"Why don't you tell me?" He stopped leading her, gesturing for her to sit on his favorite park bench, facing the reflecting pool. She smiled at the sight, taking the seat and waiting for him to join her on the bench.

"I don't really know anymore." Her head hung as she fiddled with her hands. "I used to think I had my entire life planned out perfectly. Medical school, marry another doctor, have children." She paused, taking in the sight before her. There was something ethereally calming about the night lights of D.C. She had been here many times before with Daniel for conferences and consults, but she never had taken the opportunity to enjoy the city.

"That's not what happened?" His monotonous voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"No, it's not." She took a deep breath, not knowing how much she should be revealing to this stranger. There was something enthralling about spilling her soul to someone she would never see again. "Well, I suppose I did the med school part, and the married a doctor part." She played with the ring on her finger that was always too big in her opinion, like it didn't belong there.

"Kids?"

"He has a daughter from his previous marriage, and I think even that was a surprise to him. He never wanted children, so one was more than enough by the time I came around."

"Is that why you left him?" She turned her head sharply in his direction, anger suddenly building inside. How dare he assume these things about her, he didn't even know her. What the hell was she doing out here with him anyway? She stood forcefully, a huff escaping her lips.

"I didn't leave him." The vulnerability was completely gone from her voice. It was replaced with fury and passion that he couldn't quite grasp yet. "What the hell would make you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, you're out in the middle of the night running away from something that deeply upset you. I never saw anyone frantically searching around the cab while we were sitting outside the hospital." He shrugged, keeping a gentle demeanor in hopes that she would calm down herself.

"More of your cab driver wisdom and insights?" She asked with another huff as she sat back down next to him, just a little further away this time.

"I'm one of the best." He grinned at her.

"We had an argument, because I -" She paused, desperately fighting the tears from coming again. She shook her head, signaling she wasn't ready to talk about it. He nodded his understanding, allowing the silence for a moment.

"If it's any consolation, I wouldn't want to have him in my cab." She chuckled, turning to him with a quizzical look.

"And why not?"

"My first impression of him probably wouldn't be any better than it is from what you're telling me." She smiled, a small one, but it almost reached her eyes this time.

"Thank you." He stood, extending his hand to her again. She gave him another look, eyebrow raised with the silent question.

"There's a place down the street from here that's a 24 hour cafe. It's getting chilly, even for me."

"I don't have my wallet."

"You can pay next time." He winked at her. She pondered the request for a moment before taking his offered hand. There was something about this man that made her feel alive again, respected for the person that she was.

He drove them to the cafe, asking that she sit in the front seat since he was off duty. There were several college students packed in the booths, but he managed to find a corner one empty, away from the busyness of the front.

"Do you come here often?" She took her large peacoat off for the first time, revealing a deep, royal blue sweater that brought out her eyes. His mouth opened, but no words managed to come out with the first few attempts to speak. She was beautiful, more so with the warm glow of the fireplace reflecting off her hair.

"I - uh," He cleared his throat, gathering his thoughts. "It's open all hours, it's a cab driver's dream." He teased, hoping to make her smile again. It worked like a charm, he even received a small chuckle.

"There are definitely some gems in this city that I have never had the pleasure to discover. I wish I explored more whenever we're here for work."

"Will you go back?" Her eyes widened with the question. "To work, I mean, with him."

"How did you know I work with him?"

"Well, you're both doctors, I only assumed." He shrugged, making the conversation nonchalant.

"I don't know if I could, after what happened tonight." The solemn look bestowed her face again, and he chastised himself for bringing back the memories. He wanted to keep her talking, but he hated seeing the unshed tears in her eyes. "I don't know where else I'd go. I gave up everything for him, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"You'll figure it out." He said quickly, hoping to ease her sporadic thoughts. "I can tell."

"You seem pretty confident in me."

"Because I can sense that you're strong, and something says that you always land on your feet."

"You should really charge for all this advice." She teased, causing him to smile. She glanced around the quiet cafe, noting that it had emptied since they arrived. The clock on the wall made her eyes widen. "It's almost 3 o'clock in the morning!"

"I can take you to wherever you're staying." He offered, finishing the last of his coffee.

"No, I -" She paused, realizing she had nowhere to go. She had flown in late, after work, hoping to surprise Daniel since he said his trip was going to be longer than expected because they asked for a consult. It was the weekend of their anniversary, which he no doubt forgot. They had only been married nearly 2 years now, but he didn't remember the first one either. "I don't have anywhere to stay. I need to go back to the hospital and get my bag so that I can get a room somewhere for the night."

She sighed in defeat, going back wasn't something she had planned. She was hoping to beat him home, pack her things, and never look back. He couldn't fix this, not this time. The act was not a rumor anymore, it was witnessed with her own eyes.

"I can't let you do that."

"Excuse me?"

"I know that whoever you're running from, you have good reason. At least let me accompany you until I know you're safe in a hotel somewhere." He pleaded.

She thought about the request for a moment, holding his warm gaze for as long as she would allow herself. He seemed genuinely kind, wanting to help and protect her, if she dared hope that he cared that much. What the hell was she thinking? She was still married, and the idea of spending more time with this handsome man was absolutely thrilling. She felt herself nod before she could stop the movement, and he was smiling at her with victory in his eyes.

"So what kind of doctor are you?" He asked as they drove the quiet streets back to the hospital.

"You tell me." She teased with a challenge. He laughed, pursing his lips in thought.

"You're good-natured, and precise in your movements. Direct, but with a compassion to your words." She looked at him startled, mouth agape as if she were going to respond. "I'd say either pediatrics or emergency."

She smiled at his guess, along with his explanation. "I was a trauma doctor for about a year, but I just switched over to working in pathology."

"Really?" He was stunned. She rolled her eyes, receiving that response on several occasions.

"Yes, really. I don't know why it's such a shock to so many people that a woman would choose to enter a field that has been run by men for as long as they can remember. Just because women don't do it, doesn't mean that they can't, or shouldn't." She huffed, her rehearsed argument flowing from her mouth. She had this conversation too many times with Daniel, usually ending in some kind of yelling match.

"I'm impressed."

"Y - you are?"

"I think it's pretty badass that you decided to go into a different field. I bet you're one of the best." He smiled a sideways grin as he pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.

"Thank you." Her voice was just a whisper, disbelieving that she could feel so at ease with a random stranger. "Did you want to come in with me?"

"Do you want me to?" She pondered the question, knowing that if Daniel was indeed still there, it would only cause a scene.

"No, but if I'm not back in 10 minutes, feel free to come find me." Her voice had a worry in it that he hadn't heard all evening, not even when she first found her way into his cab.

"Is he dangerous?"

"No, he just has a temper, and me walking out earlier surely won't help." She smiled reassuringly at him, exiting the car to retrieve her things.

While alone, he slumped further into his seat. What the hell was he getting himself into? Everything about the situation told him it was wrong, but there was something about her that captured him the moment he met her. He sighed, pulling his phone from his pocket and seeing all the missed calls. There was no doubt a harsh reprimand in his future, but he had hoped that what he was about to tell them would get him off the hook for a while longer.

He pressed the first speed dial on his phone. "Reggie, it's Mulder."

* * *

She was back within 5 minutes, as he had assumed. He knew that the good doctor was no longer there, and she looked relieved. There were fresh tears in her eyes that she tried to hide, but he could see them through the mask.

"I'm ready." She cleared her throat, dismissing her emotions as she turned to stare out the window.

"Where to?"

"I don't know. I can't stay at the hotel we normally do." She sighed, feeling suddenly lost in a city that she frequented.

"Can I make a recommendation?" She nodded, grateful for finding herself in the company of someone kind and somewhat shy, if she had to describe him.

He drove them silently to a hotel nearby. It wasn't her regular accommodations, but it had a charm to it. She realized that they would be parting ways, feeling foolish for the disappointment that filled her. She didn't even know this man, yet leaving him felt wrong. There was a sense of safety in his demeanor and the way he treated her when she was at her worst.

"I guess this is it." There was a sadness to his words that she felt as well.

"I suppose it is." She opened the door, exiting the car, but not yet closing it behind her. She bent down to face him. "Thank you, for everything tonight. You've been one of the best friends I've had in awhile." She smiled at him, a real smile that reached her eyes and warmed his soul.

He didn't want to let her go, not yet, but there wasn't much choice at the moment. He couldn't even give her a business card, that would risk everything. Looking around the cab, he pulled out a receipt paper and scribbled his cell number before handing it to her.  
"I didn't know you kept the meter running." She teased, causing him to smile in return. "That's a hefty bill." She noted the phone number, meeting his eyes. He remained in the car to give her a sense of ease, not wanting to invade too much of her space.

"Please, call me, if you need anything while you're here." She nodded, thanking him again before finding her room.

Mulder watched her walk away, letting out a heavy sigh as this beautiful woman left his sights. He waited in the parking lot for another few minutes before driving around to park in the underground lot. He had already told Reggie that he had changed his stakeout subject, and they needed to send someone to cover his area. His partner didn't ask many questions, given that whatever antics Mulder found himself in usually had some justification.

It was his luck that he parked underground, because it started to snow as he dozed off in his car. The early morning sky began to peer through his windows, a grunt escaping his lips as he closed his eyes tighter and rolled over in the driver's seat, hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep. The knock on the window startled him as he scrambled around in the confined space. The blue eyes staring back at him were filled with question, and relief, if he looked close enough.

"Good morning." Her voice was guarded, wondering why he was still here. He opened the door, causing her to jump back as she waited for an explanation.

"I - uh," He paused, shrugging sheepishly. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He said all in one breath.

"You slept out here all night?"

"It's almost as comfortable as my couch." She huffed a small breath at his confession. She couldn't believe him, yet she was absolutely captivated and fascinated by his nature.

"Well, at least let me buy you breakfast." He began to object, wanting to tell her that he was just making sure she was okay. "I need to start paying off my tab somehow."

He relaxed at the teasing smile that touched her lips. He walked around to open the passenger door for her, the act of chivalry not going unnoticed by her. They were both rather dumbfounded at their actions, but something about the other kept the intrigue alive. Though with different motives, they just couldn't seem to let the other go just yet.

"Where to?" He asked, leaving the decision up to her.

"How about our place?"

"We have a place?" He leered, leaning closer. To his surprise, she didn't pull back, challenging him with a slight raise of her brow.

"The cafe." He nodded, making his way back to where they spent a good portion of the evening prior.

Leading her inside with his hand placed firmly on her back, it was more crowded than the quiet night before. Locals packed in for the breakfast menu, bustling around and chattering of different topics. A news report caught her eye, hearing those around her say that this was the worst one yet, that they have a suspect in mind but nothing to tie him directly to the crimes.

"Awful, isn't it?" He snuck up behind her, speaking close to her ear. She startled for a moment before exhaling deeply and relaxing.

"I just don't understand how they haven't caught him yet. According to the news, this is the 8th girl this year alone." She said in amazement, watching the report.

"You've been following the story?"

"We've come to D.C. several times this year, it seems it was always in the news while I was here." He nodded, leading her back to the same booth in which they sat before. He was thankful it was still open with the crowd that the cafe attracted.

"Are you always working together when you come?"

"No, actually." She sighed, sipping the fresh coffee placed before them. "Usually he asks that I don't accompany him, or he finds other ventures to explore while we're here. I hardly see him, as I offer my services to the local hospitals. They all know me just as well as him by now, so there's never an objection if they need an extra set of hands or a consult."

"I'd be inclined to say that they welcome you because of your skill, not because of the man you married." She was stunned by his admission, always feeling as if she lived in the shadow of the brilliant man who was her husband. He had made a name for himself long before she arrived in his life. It was his reputation that captivated her, that made it hard to resist when he paid her that special attention.

"I could only hope that there is some truth in your beliefs." She said warily, knowing now that she would have to start over, make her own name for herself.

They ate in a comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. He was captivated by this woman, knowing there were warning signs in every direction around her. There was something in her eyes that told him that she was just an unsuspecting victim in her own life, and he felt the need to protect her. She was surprised with herself, going with a strange man, and not feeling the least bit scared. His presence was reassuring and calming, her heart sank knowing she would be leaving the city and possibly never see him again. She was always drawn to powerful men in their own right, but he was different, and that's what intrigued her the most.

"Are you flying back today?" He inquired, breaking the silence as they finished their meal.

"I was planning to, but the snow has picked up, so I don't know how soon I'll be able to get a flight out."

"So you'll be staying through the weekend?" He asked with a little too much excitement in his voice. She had to laugh at his eagerness.

"I suppose I am." She nodded, another thought popping into her head. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd be able to drop me off somewhere."

"Of course, where do you need to go?"

"To my parents' house." He sputtered and choked on his drink. He wasn't expecting that.

"Your parents live here, and you had nowhere to go last night?" This was a piece of the puzzle he wasn't anticipating.

"They didn't necessarily agree with my choice to marry Daniel, and weren't very supportive of the relationship. I haven't spoken to them often in the last few years." The sadness appeared on her face, again. She was beautiful to him even with tears in her eyes. "I'm sure I'll have to endure a few 'I told you so's' from my mother, but if I need to start over, I'd rather start with them."

"Just tell me when, and I can take you over there." She smiled at him, nodding as she finished her coffee. He leaned back in the booth, watching this fascinating creature in front of him. He was hooked.

He drove her to the hotel first to gather her things. The drive to her parents' house was eventful, filled with conversation on what her hopes were as she started her new life. She knew leaving Daniel wouldn't be easy, and had yet to reveal why this time was irreparable, but he respected her privacy in that regard. She appreciated having someone to talk to, sacrificing so much of her personal life when she married. He was controlling, desperately craving all of her attention. He asked that she not go out without him, resulting in a few turned down invitations. The more hospital gatherings they attended, the more she felt like an arm ornament. He praised her for the work she did in her residency, but always managed to slip a jab at her career in pathology. She always laughed, playing the dutiful wife until they argued later that night, behind closed doors. It wasn't the life she imagined, that becoming more aware to her with each passing day.

"Scully?" A warm hand rested on her arm, causing her jump. "Sorry, you kind of tuned out there for a minute." He smiled at her, causing her to relax. She noticed that they were in the driveway of the house she hadn't stepped foot in in over two years.

Taking a deep breath, she exited the car as he collected her small bag from the trunk. She packed light, half expecting Daniel to get mad at her surprise and send her home. Her feet planted heavily on the pavement, she bit her lip as she took in the sight. "It's been forever since I've been here."

"I'm sure they're just going to be happy to see you." She met his eyes, seeing the gentle reassurance in his gaze.

"I still can't thank you enough, for everything you've done for me." He shook his head, dismissing her overwhelming thanks. Handing her the bag, their hands touched for a brief moment, neither of them pulling away.

"If you're in town soon, and need a ride, give me a call." He smiled, touched to see the gesture returned.

He walked back to the cab slowly, not wanting this to end. He knew that everything was about to go up in flames with a matter of hours, and there was nothing he could do to prevent the hurt she was about to endure. He plopped in the driver's seat, preparing himself for a new day's work.

* * *

"Mulder, you look like shit, more than usual." Reggie teased as he strolled in. His emergency suit he kept in the office was crisp and clean, but the rest of him was about a day old. He was scruffier than usual, the dark circles under his eyes more apparent.

"I didn't sleep much last night."

"You say that like it's news." Mulder managed a smile, he liked Reggie. He was one of the only other agents he could manage to work with. "By the way, you might want to load up on the coffee so you're alert enough to handle Patterson's wrath today. He's kind of ticked that you ditched your post last night."

"With good reason." Mulder grumbled, taking his seat as far away from the front.

Patterson strolled in, slamming things around, clearly in a mood from the jump. He glared at Mulder before starting his briefing. They had been watching the suspect for weeks, waiting for him as he landed at the airport and monitoring his movements to and from the hospital. The only thing they were waiting on was the proof. There was no definitive evidence that tied him to the bodies, at least what they recovered of them. Majority of them were hacked into pieces, displaced all over the city in shallow graves.

Mulder's profile pinpointed the who and the why, but they couldn't decipher the how. Many speculations that his wife was helping dispose of the bodies was high on the evidence board, but Mulder would strongly beg to differ. He acted alone, needing the control and power of his actions. He fed off the act of raping and disposing of these women. From the profile, they would guess that his actions were brought on by some form of rejection that he didn't know how to handle.

"Agent Mulder." Patterson's voice broke his reverie. "Mind filling us in on why you decided to leave your post last night?"

"I was following another lead." He stated simply. Reggie let out a heavy sigh, waiting for the reprimand that his partner was bound to receive.

"And what lead would that be?"

"It's too early to say how imperative it is to the case, but I will file a report and update the team as soon as I finish it up." He stated craftily. Patterson huffed before moving onto the rest of the Agents working different angles of the case.

"Anything more on the profile?" Agent Roberts directed his question to Mulder, hoping that there was something new.

"I think he's going to strike again, soon. We know he doesn't frequent bars or any public places other than the hospital and the hotel he stays at."

"So you think we need to focus on those two locations?"

"Yes, more specifically the hospital." There was a renewed energy inside of him as the words began flowing from his mind through his lips. "He's going to be facing one of the biggest rejections in his life, feeling like a failure. If he hasn't already figured out what's happening, he will, soon. I think we need to focus on the hospital, send someone in who is young enough to attract his attention, and trigger his anger by rejecting his advances."

Patterson watched the younger agent for a moment, knowing that his leaps usually led to results. He didn't do it for the fame or commendations, he did it because he was good at getting into the minds of these twisted people. A simple nod ignited the rest of the room to jump into action, finding an agent who they could send undercover. Time was not on their side if they wanted to save another innocent woman.

Mulder was set up outside the hospital in a surveillance van with Reggie and a few others. Patterson was monitoring the operation from the other side of the hospital, and there were several agents on the inside. This was one of the biggest operations they've ever had to pull, but they've never had someone so masterful in what they do. Mulder could sense the urgency in the perp, knowing that this final trigger could cause him to slip up.

"So you going to tell me about your little side venture yesterday?" Reggie asked as they waited for something to happen.

"Nope."

"Does it have something to do with your new wisdom on the suspect?"

"It might." Reggie laughed, shaking his head. He knew he wasn't going to get more out of him than that.

The agent they sent in was short, younger in the face, and had strawberry blonde hair. Mulder specified what she should look like, and they borrowed a trainee from Quantico. He knew this would be the ultimate trigger, hoping to close this before anyone else got hurt. The pain that was about to come to his loved ones was something they would have to face as the time arose. It wasn't something he could think about right now, not yet.

"We've got eyes on him, he's spotted our plant." They all leaned forward in the van, listening intently to the play by play as their agent talked to him. She was instructed to wait around his temporary office area, usually a quieter hallway as doctor's were busier during the day.

"I haven't seen you around here before." His voice was deep with confidence and oozing with ego.

"I'm just visiting a friend." She was instructed to seem timid, but intrigued in talking to him. Mulder anticipated that he would be so into himself that he wouldn't even notice her rehearsed responses.

"Your friend is very lucky to have someone as kind and beautiful as you visiting them." He leered at her. The senior agents only hoped that the trainee could hold her own. They hadn't planned on putting anyone with no experience out into the field, but Mulder insisted on the appearance, and she fit the bill.

"I suppose she is."

"How about I buy you a cup of coffee, while you're waiting around here."

"No thank you, I really should be getting back." The young agent's breath caught in her throat, another agent hiding in one of the stock rooms nearby giving the record of what was happening.

"He stopped her by putting an arm against the wall, do we make a move?" Collins whispered into the mic.

"No, we need him to make an attempt to take her. We need evidence." Patterson shouted back, frustrated and wanting this to be over. They had to do it right.

"I'm a doctor here, a heart surgeon." He was praising himself, building himself up so that she couldn't refuse.

"That's nice. I really do need to get back." He grabbed her arms forcefully, shoving her against the wall.

"Nobody denies me." He shouted, inches away from her face. "You're just like the rest of them, you'll end like them, too. Is that what you want? Is that why you left me? Dammit, Dana, answer me!" He threw her to the ground, before forcing himself on top of her.

Before he could drag her into an empty supply room, agents came shuffling out of every angle, apprehending him almost instantly. He began shouting expletives as they cuffed him forcefully, threatening to sue each and every one of them personally. They laughed as they hauled him to one of the cars waiting to be taken back to the bureau.

After they all reconvened and celebrated his capture, Patterson gave a speech about the great team work. Mulder was finding it hard to celebrate as their suspect sat in the interrogation room down the hall, refusing to give a statement or confession. He asked for a lawyer immediately, and some stiff in a suit showed up a few hours later.

The other agents began to disperse, all off to file their own reports. Mulder gathered his things, hoping to sneak out of the conference room without anymore reprimand from Patterson.

"Mulder!" No such luck. He let out a heavy sigh, tossing his files on the table.

"Sir." He answered curtly, not really helping the situation.

"Since you decided to compromise the investigation yesterday by ditching your post, I'm letting you make it up to the team." Patterson flashed him a grim smile that made him shiver. "The suspect's wife is on her way in. We need a statement from her. There's still no proof that she wasn't part of this, so we need it to be thorough."

"Wait, sir -"

"More importantly, we need her to confirm that the murders coincide when he was in Washington D.C."

"I don't think I'm the best person for this."

"You're our star profiler." Patterson said in a mocking tone. "Surely you can handle a simple interview." He dismissed him, leaving no room for argument.

Mulder made his way to one of the smaller, more intimate interrogation rooms. There was no hidden room behind a window, he wanted to make sure this was personal. He sighed heavily as he plopped into a chair, throwing the file in front of him. His hand slammed hard against the table, this wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to know until he was ready to tell her.

Opening the folder, the photograph of those familiar blue eyes stared back at him. He yanked a pen from his pocket, preparing for his interview with the suspect's wife, Dana Katherine Waterston. Maiden name, Scully.


	2. Chapter 2

The anticipation was building as Mulder tapped his pen against the table. He wasn't sure what information would be briefed to her before arrival, so he was going in blind. His hand froze at the sound of heels clicking on the hard floor. This was it, he just hoped she didn't hate him when this was over. He was genuinely trying to keep her from the inevitable hurt. She didn't deserve what was coming her way, or the accusations that the press would surely throw in her direction. He stood as the door opened, seeing her pause in her stride as the other agent led her inside.

"Mr. Hale?" Her brow was furrowed, she was utterly confused. He looked a little more put together than the last time she saw him, the suit fitting him like a glove. His 5 o'clock shadow was much the same, but he looked cleaner cut. What the hell was going on?

"Before we start, I just want to say -"

"What are you doing here? Did something happen?" The realization that she was clueless as to the reason of her visit entered his mind. There was no way to disguise the fear in her eyes of not understanding the circumstances. He watched as she put up a guard around herself. "Oh god, did Daniel find out that you helped me? I'll tell them whatever they need to know, you shouldn't have been brought into my mess."

She deflated in front of him, and he felt like a total ass. This kind woman who captivated his mind from the first moment, was caring about him when he had done nothing but lie to her. No, that wasn't fair to himself, his intentions were sincere, though stemming from ulterior motives.

"They haven't told you why you're here." He stated, rather than ask the question he already knew the answer to. He sat, gesturing for her to do the same. She narrowed her eyes at him, glaring as she crossed her arms and remained standing.

"Somebody tell me something, dammit!" She exclaimed, exasperated by whatever game this was already. "What the hell is going on? What are you doing here?"

He let out a heavy sigh, knowing he owed her the truth. When he met her eyes, they were wide and scared of whatever he had to say. He could sense the trepidation, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her the way he had done before. Everything changed.

"I suppose I should start with an introduction." She dropped her arms, stepping behind the offered chair, hiding herself from the man she spent the last day with. "My name is Fox Mulder, I'm a special agent with the FBI. When you entered my cab last night, I was on a stakeout." He began to explain, watching the curiosity flash across her face.

"I still don't know what that has to do with me." She spat back, distancing herself from him. His heart broke, this was what he was afraid of when she found out the truth.

"You've been following the news, you know about the disappearances." She nodded, not offering more. "We had strong reason to suspect that your husband was the one committing these acts. We've been watching him since he arrived this last time in D.C."

She sank into the seat with disbelief, it couldn't be true. Sure, Daniel had a temper, but he had never been especially hostile with her. Everything flooded her at once, the tears spilling out before she could stop them. All those times he stayed later at the hospital when they were in town, all the times he didn't come back to the hotel room. The coincidence that it was a breaking news story update each time they were in town. How could she be so blinded, so dense?

"It's not your fault." She looked at him startled, as if he were reading her mind. Scoffing at his words, how many women could she have saved if she knew what kind of monster she married. "I'd say that you leaving him led us to finally being able to capture him."

"How?" She was overwhelmed, but his presence still brought a sense of comfort to her. Though lied to, she understood it was in her best interest. If they hadn't caught him, who's to say she wouldn't have been next in retaliation for walking away.

"Based on my profile -" He paused as she raised an eyebrow in his direction. "I knew he craved power, he thrived off it. We suspected that these women he attacked were ones that declined his advances. Younger women that didn't find his charm appealing."

"Yeah, well not all were able to resist." She mumbled under her breath.

"Anything you can tell me will help." He offered her a tight-lipped smile, hoping there was some part of her that still trusted him. She let out a heavy sigh, her elbows planted on the table as she cradled her head in her hands.

"The reason I left, was because I walked in on him and one of the interns. She was in his lap in the temporary office they let him work out of." The fresh tears brimmed her eyes, she didn't want to relive this, any of this. "There were rumors, at our own hospital back home, that I chose to ignore. Nurses, interns, office administration, they all gave in to his efforts because of his reputation. He used them all as play things, they were fools. I was just the only one stupid enough to marry him."

"You're not stupid."

"I feel pretty dumb, and embarrassed. How could I have not known?" It was the common question that most families of these monsters asked themselves. Mulder hated watching their spirits deteriorate, assuming the blame that wasn't theirs to feel. "So what happens now?"

"Well, we only caught him in the act of one attempted rape and assault. He's lawyered up, and we can't officially pin the others on him."

"That's why I'm here." She stated, leaning back in the chair as she observed the man in front of her. Though she hated to admit it now, but she had grown fond of him in the short while that she had made his acquaintance. There was something about him that she was drawn to, but her reserves were up, learning the truth. "What do you want from me? I didn't even know he was the one doing this!"

"I know, and I believe that."

"But others don't? Oh god, do they honestly think I had anything to do with this?" She was becoming panicked, he could see it in her eyes. He wanted to say anything to reassure her, but he had to maintain the professionalism.

"No, we just want to know what you do know." She could sense his guard going up, seeing the shift in his demeanor. If he wanted to keep this as business as possible, then that's what she would do as well. There was a glimpse of longing in his eyes that she wasn't sure how to interpret.

"Nothing. I know nothing about any of this."

"What about your trips to D.C.? You've said that you often came together, but were not always in each other's presence." She glared at him, those words spoken between what she believed was new friends.

"That's correct." She answered shortly. He sighed, wanting to keep this casual like the night before, but knowing he had a job to do.

"We've pulled flight manifests around the time that the murders occurred. We searched specifically for his name, but there are a few occurrences in which he was seemingly not in the area." Her eyes widened, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. She felt even more foolish than before. The instances so fresh in her mind as everything came to light.

"There were several times that Daniel insisted we drive, or take the train down. I told him that was stupid and a waste of time, but he was persistent about it." Her voice was almost a whisper, as if she were afraid of her own words.

"We'll need you to write those dates down for us to the best of your ability." She nodded, not wanting to offer more.

"It - uh," He cleared his throat, straightening his posture. Whatever he had to tell her next was serious, and piqued her attention as she met his poise. "He disposed of the bodies by mutilating them, cutting them into smaller pieces to be discarded all over the area. Originally, there was reason to believe that -"

"That I was the one helping him?" She met his gaze head on, not backing down from the accusations. She had nothing to hide.

"Yes, but I dismissed that with my profile."

"Before or after you 'met' me?" She asked with a sharp tongue, emphasizing that their meeting was not as random as she thought. He was pleading with his eyes for her to believe that this wasn't a set up, but she had no reason to believe him.

"Before." She nodded, signaling for him to continue. "Is there anyone at the local hospital that would have helped him without persuasion? Someone maybe that we can hopefully get a confession from."

Dana leaned back in her seat, her lips pursed in thought. Mulder took the moment to admire her beauty, something that he found pleasurable the evening before. The concentrated expression on her face was vastly different than the laughter he encountered, but he was fond of both versions of this incredible woman. It felt as if he were watching her mind, seeing the brilliance that lived in her brain as she pondered his question.

"Stacy." She sat upright again at the revelation.

"She works at the hospital?"

"Yes, she's the lab assistant to the medical examiner there. There's always been a feeling of hatred that I've felt from her ever since she found out I was Daniel's wife. She was infatuated with him, we've argued about her before, but he insisted that nothing was going on." Mulder nodded, taking notes as he began to piece everything together.

Daniel no doubt sought her on purpose. Dana had said he didn't approve of her switch in careers, so choosing someone in the field in which she now specialized would be an extra stab to the heart. He would use his sex appeal to overpower this younger assistant, making her a slave to his ego. If she were like Mulder profiled, she would do anything for him, unless she felt as though he betrayed her. He could work with that.

"What are you thinking?" He was startled from his reverie, momentarily forgetting anyone else was there. It happened often, him getting lost in his own mind, but most people ignored him. He met her bright blue eyes, filled with questions that he couldn't answer yet.

"I want to bring her in. There's been no reports that he was arrested, we were careful to take him out through the back. The corridor of his office was mostly empty other than our agents, so there's a chance she doesn't know."

"You think she would confess?"

"No, it's going to take some coercing and truth bending, which I may need your help for." He looked at her expectantly. She simply nodded her agreeance, just wanting this to be over.

He left the room to instruct the other agents still around to retrieve Stacy from the hospital. He told them to withhold the reason, and he would handle that as soon as she arrived. All they were to say was that she may have information in an active investigation.

As Mulder made his way back into the small room, he overheard her talking on the phone. He gave her his cell phone to make any calls that she needed, a lawyer, her family. If he could make this easier in any way, he was determined to.

"No, mom, I'm fine, really." Her voice echoed in the confined space as he hid just behind the door. He knew he shouldn't betray her trust even more, but what kind of agent would he be if he didn't fully study each person. "I'll explain more when I get home. It - mom, it was Daniel. The news, the murders." She broke down, everything hitting her emotions as once. He felt guilty for listening, but at least he was sure that she genuinely didn't know. "I'll talk to you later."

"I'm sorry." He was standing behind her, causing her to jump at the sudden intrusion. She wondered how much he had heard, but the warm apology in his eyes told her that he heard everything. She was almost relieved, at least he knew the truth.

"What do you need from me when Stacy gets here?" She decided to change the subject, not wanting to get into her emotions. It was hard enough fighting them back as much as she was.

"Based on what you told me, she would probably confess to everything to protect him." Dana looked startled, how could anyone in their right mind protect that bastard? "Unless she thinks he betrayed her."

"Where do I come in?"

"I'm going to have them bring her in the room next to us. I asked that they not let her enter until I exit this room, with you. If she sees you, I'm hoping it will set off some kind of trigger that I can work with."

"Okay." Her voice was small, brow furrowed as she dismissed the tears that began to rise. She felt used, in more ways than one. Daniel used her as an arm piece throughout their entire marriage, but she didn't want to see it. This man standing in front of her, he had used her, too.

"I know this is a lot for you, and I want to do anything I can to make this as easy as possible, so please, use my number whenever you need." He was desperately grasping onto hope that she didn't hate him completely. There was a larger apology that she was owed, but until this entire thing was over, he couldn't give her that. She thanked him with a quick glance, nodding to acknowledge that she heard him.

The operation went off with a hitch, the minute Stacy laid eyes on Dana, she grew visibly angry. Mulder even felt the need to walk her down to the lobby, placing himself between the two.

"You weren't kidding." She scoffed at his attempted humor. He stopped her in their stride, hoping for a small moment away from the madness that now consumed her life. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, that I unintentionally used you. When you happened upon my cab, I found it as an opportunity of fate, and it gave me the chance to really know you."

"Well, I'm glad I could help in the investigation, Agent Mulder." Her words sounded rehearsed and detached. It was Dr. Scully, coming out in full force to distance herself from a potentially consuming situation. She watched as the disappointment settled on his face, a lump forming in her throat. It had to be this way, she needed to start over, step away from everything that involved Daniel. Unfortunately for her, that included the man standing in front of her.

* * *

Mulder took the tone of her words, nodding as he made his parting pleasantries. Her demeanor seemed almost cold, and the last bit of hope he had, diminished. She was pulling herself away from all of this, though he didn't blame her. If it were him, he'd pack up everything and run far far away. That's basically what he did when he attended college in another country. He understood the feeling well.

"Ms. Hannon, thank you for meeting with us." He flashed her that charming grin that seemed to work on women when he needed something. It was often used on the secretarial office, and occasionally during an interview. He didn't even attempt it with Dana, he wanted that to be honest.

"I don't understand why I'm here. I don't have any information about any case." She spat, her eyes casually glancing towards the door as if she were expecting Dana to walk through the door.

"We have reason to believe that you may have some connection to a Daniel Waterston." Her face grew angry and tight, fury burning in her eyes.

"It's Dr. Waterston." She emphasized the power to his title, Mulder nodding as he felt her about to explode.

"My apologies. His wife mentioned that -"

"Is she the reason I'm here?" She cut his words off at the mention of the word 'wife.' He wanted to smile at how easy this was going to be. "Whatever she told you, she was lying."

"She's simply here to support her husband through this difficult time."

"They're hardly together." She spat, not even questioning why he was in custody.

"He seemed very pleased to have her by his side." The fire burned within her. It was as if Mulder had lit the fuse and was waiting for the explosion. He didn't have to wait long.

"I'm the one who's been by his side! He turned to me when he had to get rid of the first one, not her." Mulder smiled grimly at the woman, the confession one for the record books. She realized her mistake the minute the words left her mouth. She broke down as she confessed to everything, highlighting specific details that were not released to the press.

Mulder sent her to be booked and locked up. The other agents left were bustling around with the final piece of the investigation wrapping up. The only thing left to do was talk to the good doctor himself, which Mulder had to prepare himself for. Patterson had already somewhat congratulated him on the first confession, coming as a surprise to them both. He was instructed to break him down, make this as solid as possible.

"We need a confession, this needs to be easy for the court." Patterson grumbled, dismissing Mulder to the larger interrogation room. Daniel was being watched from every angle, none of his words going unnoticed. He simply nodded, hoping he could control himself long enough to make it through this interview. Who was this man that Dana married?

"Mr. Waterston." Mulder announced as he entered the room. Daniel scoffed in his direction, unfazed by the agent's presence.

"It's Dr. Waterston." He bit back with a smug smile on his face.

"Agent -" His lawyer began.

"Mulder."

"Agent Mulder, we still have yet to be told what my client is being held for. What happened with the woman at the hospital was simply a misunderstanding." His lawyer looked just as smug as his client. Daniel Waterston was older, distinguished in nature, confidence wafting off of him. He couldn't see what attracted Dana to him, he was turned off the minute he walked in the room to meet the man.

"That may be true, however your client is here as the main suspect in the string of murders that have been happening in the finer D.C. area." Mulder stated coolly, detached from his emotions.

"That's absurd!" Daniel launched forward with his anger, his lawyer desperately attempting to hold him back.

"We have a first-hand witness who has already given a full confession to being an accessory, you could make this easier for everyone with a statement of your own."

"I have nothing to admit. I don't even live in the D.C. area." Mulder smiled, checkmate.

"We've also been able to confirm that you've traveled from New York by different means each time. All those dates have coincided with a murder."

"You spoke to my wife." Daniel leaned back, eyeing the agent in front of him. Dana was the only one who would have known his travel arrangements.

"Yes, we did." The older man nodded, leaning in to whisper something in his lawyer's ear. He excused himself from the room, leaving only Mulder and Daniel alone.

"Mr. Waterston -"

"Doctor."

"Right." He answered shortly, uninterested. "It's not going to be good for you, or your reputation, if you choose not to comply. We already have a witness and a confession, your cooperation would be greatly appreciated."

Just at that moment, his lawyer came back in, shaking his head. Daniel grew visibly angry at the gesture and its meaning. Mulder excused himself for a moment to allow them to speak privately in hopes that he would reveal whatever the scheme was.

"She said that she doesn't plan on seeing you, and she's already offered everything she knew."

"She knew nothing!" Daniel stood with a force, knocking the chair over. "The only suspicions she had was about where I was during the nights that I didn't sleep in our shared bed. Does she honestly think that she can do anything with herself without me?"

"Well -" His lawyer began, clearing his throat and becoming uncomfortable with the next wave of news. "She also mentioned that you should be expecting divorce papers."

Daniel's eyes grew wide, fury burning deep inside of him. Mulder could sense the loss of control, waiting for the final trigger to cause this man to combust. If he were lucky, it would lead to a full confession while the tape recorder was on. He let him stew for a few more minutes before making his entrance again.

"Let's get down to it, Mr. Waterston." Mulder began, showing a lack of interest in the man in front of him, only aggravating him further. "We need a statement. May I remind you that we already have a witness confession, as well as the full cooperation of your wife on any further details. Now -"

"What details?"

"That's not important." He shrugged nonchalantly, watching the older man's jaw twitch with anger. "Are you ready to give a statement?"

"My client won't be saying anything. If that's all you have, we will be leaving." His lawyer stood, Daniel following suit.

"Actually, we already have the arrest warrant, due to the witness statement. If you choose to protest that, you have another 20 hours or so that we may detain him for the arrest of assaulting another woman." Mulder smiled, both men growing slightly pale. He left the room, allowing them to talk amongst themselves.

Something told him that Dana wasn't going to be left alone in this. He needed to talk to her, make sure she was okay. He handed the task off to the other agent, it was basically paperwork from this point. They had already taken Stacy, and if Daniel chose not to cooperate, they could hold him for the next day. She was at least safe until then.

Mulder drove to her parents' house, hoping that she was staying with them still. She would need the support after everything she just went through. Her entire life had been a lie, and she was feeling humiliated. He desperately wanted to be the person she turned to, talk to him the way she had the night before, but things changed. He lied to her, too.

He parked on the curb across the street, reclining enough to be out of sight from the naked eye. There was a direct view into the large window in the living room, and he could make out a larger man, sitting with an older woman on the couch. He assumed those were her parents, seeing small resemblements in their features. He brought his binoculars up as another figure entered the room, sighing in relief as the familiar red hair stared back at him. Her eyes were slightly puffy, and she looked younger without makeup. She was beautiful.

"Starbuck, you can't beat yourself up over this. No one knew what he was capable of, it's a shock to us all." Her dad attempted to reassure his youngest daughter, seeing her so beaten down emotionally.

"Thanks, Ahab." She huffed, shaking her head as she buried herself into the couch. "But you both had your reservations about him, and I should have listened."

"No, don't do that. Stop thinking about the 'what-ifs' and focus on the next part of your life." Her mother said gently, relieved to have her daughter away from that monster. Maggie Scully knew something was wrong the minute she saw Dana standing on their front porch. She tried to be strong, but her mother saw straight through the facade.

They spent the better part of the evening attempting to talk their daughter out of a depression of feeling guilty for what happened. She felt so lost, so confused that she could be controlled and manipulated by the man she married. As a young attending, she was so captivated by his mind. The fact that he paid her any attention at all was a compliment. When he started pursuing her, he was assertive about his wants and needs, but never in an aggressive manner. Perhaps it was because she hadn't turned down his advances.

Mulder woke in the early morning just as the sun began to rise. There hadn't been any activity, and he was relieved to know that the two responsible for all of this were locked up. He stretched, rotating his neck from side to side as he groggily entered the new day.

"Hey Maggie -" William, Dana's father, began to say. "Did she say they were sending surveillance for the house?" He was peering out the front window at the dark blue government issued sedan. It was unmistakable that it was an official vehicle.

"No, she didn't mention anything." Maggie joined her husband as they watched the man wake up to the morning sky.

"I'm going to see what's going on then." William announced with authority in his voice. Maggie simply nodded, the Navy Captain in him taking over his demeanor. He wasn't going to be dissuaded.

Mulder startled as he saw the taller man walking straight towards his car. Apparently, he wasn't an inconspicuous as he thought. He was busted, and he had no good reason other than that he was genuinely just wanting to make sure that Dana was okay. There was no way to explain what he was already feeling for her in the short few days they've known each other.

"Sir." Mulder exited the car, attempting to seem as harmless as possible. He'd pull the badge if necessary.

"Who are you, and why have you been parked here all night?" The authority in his voice, Mulder sighed, this wasn't what he had planned. He didn't want her to know that he was there.

"I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder. I'm with the FBI, and I'm currently working an investigation in relation to your daughter."

"My daughter has no relation to anything." He was guarding his territory, Mulder understood. He wanted to stand guard right next to him.

"Believe me, I know that. She's been very helpful."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here."

"I just wanted -"

"He seems to like sleeping in cars." A raspy voice came from behind her father, surprising them both. Her hair was still slightly disheveled from sleep, but she had changed quickly into jeans and a sweater. Her mother made sure to note the frantic need to look presentable as soon as she saw who her father was talking to. She'd ask about that later.

"Starbuck, do you know this man?"

"Yes, Agent Mulder has been very...kind, during the process." She chose her words carefully, not disclosing the first night they spent together. Her father simply nodded at them both, leaving them to talk as he made his way back to the house. "What are you doing here?"

"I - uh, was in the neighborhood?" He attempted with humor, the sheepish grin spreading on his face. She pursed her lips to hide her own smile, raising an eyebrow at him challengingly. "Okay, okay." He let out a deep sigh, running his hand through his hair. "I spoke with your husband after you left. There was something that made me feel deeply unnerved about him, so I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Is he out?" Her eyes widened with the question.

"No, he's in holding, but his lawyer seems to think he has some ideas on not making that stick."

"But he's guilty, isn't he? I mean, he didn't confess?" She was overwhelmed, she could feel the emotions building inside of her, waiting to be released. He sensed it, too, wanting to comfort her and reassure her that everything would be okay, he would make sure of it.

"No, he's too proud to admit defeat. The lab assistant confessed, as I hoped she would. I need a different kind of trigger for him." Mulder bit his lip, not wanting to meet her eyes. As he sat in his car alone for many hours the night before, the perfect idea came to him. He knew just how to make the good doctor snap and get the confession he needed. The only thing that made him falter on his plans, was that he would need her help, and he didn't want to put her through that.

"You need me." Her voice was small, catching on to his silence.

"I have an idea." He nodded, hoping that he hadn't lost all of her trust. She met his eyes, reading him through her gaze. There was an unnerving feeling to how intently she held the connection, but it also exhilarated him. This woman was absolutely captivating.

"Okay." She didn't know why she was agreeing, but she trusted him. Though meeting under false pretenses, something told her that his feelings were real. She could see it in his eyes.

"I'll fill you in on the details at the office, take your time to get down there. He's not going anywhere."

"No." He began walking back to his car, stopping in his stride to face her with a quizzical look. "My mother saw you talking to my father earlier, and ask that I invite you in for breakfast. You can't turn down an invitation from Maggie Scully." Her face relaxed, a small smile teasing on her lips.

"I don't want to intrude."

"They don't know everything, so we'll have to keep details to a minimum."

"Do they know about -" He began to say 'us,' as if there was a them to consider. She caught on to his implied unspoken words, shaking her head. He almost felt relieved. Having to explain that he was falling for their daughter after only one night wasn't exactly the best lead in.

Mulder followed her inside, suddenly nervous as they approached the door. She could sense him tensing, turning with a teasing smile on her face. This was the real him, the one that she had met that first night. It made her feel better, knowing that a lot of their conversation was him, and not Agent Mulder.

"Scared?"

"No." He glared at her playfully. "I just don't usually do the meet the parents thing."

"I think that only applies when you have certain intentions."

"And who said I didn't?" He leaned in closer, a smirk on his lips. She didn't pull back right away, feeling herself relax in his presence. Could she trust him again after being lied to? Everything was so complicated.

He met them both, maintaining his good manners that were learned through years of formal dinner parties that his parents dragged him to. She watched in fascination as he moved through conversation with ease. Her father was still watching him, but she could tell he was relaxing as well. There was a certain amusement that he managed to hit it off so well with her parents. When she first introduced them to Daniel, he spoke of her talents the entire evening, as if she were a prized toy. She rarely had a moment to interject her own words, Daniel taking over the entire conversation as he often did. But this man, he was not her husband. He was kind, and treated her as an equal, bringing her into the discussion as she tried to hide from the mess that her life had become.

"Scully?" She heard his voice directed at her, shaking her head as she broke from her reverie.

"You call her Scully?" Her father asked, confused that that's what she responded to. Mulder had called her Dana before attempting the nickname she had practically given herself the first time they met.

"Oh, I - uh," She paused, thinking quickly. "I wanted to start separating myself from this as soon as possible. I told him to call me Scully." She smiled, knowing her parents would be satisfied with her response. Mulder nodded at her answer, noting to call her that now as much as possible.

"Well, I thank you Mrs. Scully, it's the best meal I've had in quite a while." He joked, rubbing his stomach as he stood to leave.

"It's Maggie, and you're welcome for a home cooked meal any time." She patted his hand in departure. He shook her father's hand, hoping to keep them in the loop of the investigation as much as he could, and handed them his business card as well.

She walked him out, knowing that she would need to be briefed on his plan. They had wasted enough time with breakfast, and he needed to get to work.

"I actually enjoyed that."

"You sound surprised."

"I just usually don't do well with parents, but yours are great." He smiled, causing her to return the gesture.

"They are, I've missed them." The sudden sadness washing over her, she hated this. "They're glad to have me back."

"It will all be over, soon. I'm going to do everything I can to guarantee that for you." He was confident in his words, startling her as he nearly was reading her thoughts.

"So what's the plan?" She cleared her throat, needing to stay strong. He nodded at the change of direction, knowing she needed to stay as detached as possible to make it through this.

"I think you'll be the trigger I need. You leaving him has already put a dent in his ego, making it official would create the hole I need to move in."

"Divorce?" She looked surprised, though the idea was so heavily engraved in her mind. It was happening so fast.

"I can have the bureau's legal team work on that, unless you're not ready."

"No, no. I -" She took a deep breath. "You really think that would work?"

"I'm fairly confident that it will be what I need to push through."

"He's going to threaten me." She spoke low, her head hanging. He tensed up at the thought, his hands gripping tightly to his coat. She saw the action, licking her lips as she was about to open up another prospect. "Will you be able to handle that?"

"Yes." He answered quickly, though through gritted teeth. He hadn't thought about how this bastard would respond directly to her leaving him for good. He had to control himself. "I will keep this as professional as possible. I know the risks, and I want to do this right."

"I'm going to get ready, and I'll meet you down there at noon." She met his eyes again, seeing his own conflicting feelings bouncing around in his mind. He was confused, and angry, but mostly he was compassionate towards her and genuinely cared. The emotions so fresh in their minds, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, and hugged him. Mulder was shocked at first, but then relaxed his arms around her small form. She felt warm, and her hair smelled good as he buried his nose in it.

"Thank you, for being my friend." She whispered into his chest, causing the smile to spread on his lips. She reluctantly pulled away, seeming embarrassed for her sudden wave of sentiment.

"I'll see you later, Scully."

* * *

She arrived ahead of schedule, wanting to make sure that she was fully prepared for whatever she was about to face. The secretary told her to wait in the conference room down the hall, an agent would be there with her shortly. She could only hope that it was the agent she had in her mind.

"Dr. Wa - uh, Scully." An agent came in, a welcoming smile on his face. She furrowed her brow at the name, watching him slightly fluster. "Mulder made sure I got the name right." He winked. "I'm his partner, Reggie."

"It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand, giving a genuine smile. "Will Mulder be joining us soon?"

"Loverboy needed to go home and make himself pretty. I spend a lot of time with him in different situations, but he was even a little ripe for me." Reggie teased, seeing her cheeks tinge with color. "I'll also deny that entire sentence if you tell him." She laughed, relaxing again.

Reggie filled her in on the updates, Mulder insisted that he was as detailed as possible. There was nothing that he wanted hidden from her. After Reggie spent an hour giving her a breakdown of what had happened, she was more determined than ever to end this.

"Can I get the autopsy reports?" She asked, making revisions to the divorce agreement in front of her. It was all too generous, she wanted nothing from him.

"Uh, I don't know if -"

"I'm a doctor, a pathologist actually. I just want to see if anything was missed, or if there's something I can do to make this fool proof."

"You shouldn't concern yourself with any of that." Reggie felt for her, seeing the conflicting thoughts flash across her face.

"I want to help."

"Well, if Mulder's right, which he is a good majority of the time, then you being here will be all the help he needs." She smiled at him, he was kind, like Mulder. He could see how they worked well together. Before she could respond, the person in question came running through the door.

"Sorry I'm late." He looked nice in a suit, freshly shaved and clean from two nights of sleeping in his car. She admired him with her eyes, Reggie holding back his chuckle at how flustered his partner was. The whole investigation had been amusing, seeing him transform into a different person.

"It's cool, we were just talking about the Granados case when you decided it would be a good idea to strip down to -"

"Enough! She doesn't need to hear the details."

"Oh, but I think I do." She chuckled, causing Mulder to sigh with relief.

"Later." Reggie winked at her, excusing himself to leave them alone.

"He's nice." She smiled a silent thanks at him for sending someone that he trusted to help her through this. He wasn't going to entrust just anyone to be with her.

"He talks too much." Mulder playfully glared at her, a smiled response gracing his presence.

"Well, he did say that you were right most of the time."

"I'm clearly not paying him enough then." He smiled at her in return. "Did the lawyers bring over the divorce agreement?"

"Yes, but it's too much. I don't want anything from him." She sighed, shoving the papers from in front of her. "I just want this to be over."

"It will be, soon. I promise you that."

He briefed her on the details that Reggie kept broad and vague, wanting to mask her from as much pain as possible. Mulder wanted to be honest with her, allowing her to read over the autopsy reports. There was nothing that he wanted to keep from her, not anymore. She knew he was overcompensating for lying to her in the beginning, wanting to tell him that the attention was unnecessary, but she secretly relished in it. She was thankful that he was here for her.

"Are you ready?" He asked, watching as she fidgeted while waiting. She took a deep breath, nodding in affirmation. "Remember, I want you to keep everything to a minimum, he's going to try to get a reaction from you."

"I know." She huffed, already annoyed with the whole situation. "You'll be with me, right?"

"Every step of the way." He reached out to gently rub her arm in a comforting gesture. She smiled her thanks, leaning slightly into his touch.

They finally made their way into the interrogation room, her stopping as soon as Daniel set his eyes on her. She felt unnerved under his gaze, disgusted that she had given her life for this man. Mulder placed his hand on her lower back as he had done several times before, offering her a silent support. He felt her lean into the touch before standing on her own feet. She was determined to do this just as expertly as Mulder had entrusted her to.

"Dana, I'm glad you changed your mind about seeing me." Daniel flashed her that grin that normally made women swoon. It made her want to gag, seeing him for who he really is.

"I'm only here to finalize things." There was confidence in her voice that even surprised Mulder. He wasn't sure how she would do, confident that she'd be able to get a reaction from him, but not knowing how it would truly affect her. He had only known her for two days, and he couldn't figure her out. She was strong, but compassionate and loving. There was a professional demeanor that she carried with her, but a softness that he guessed only a few ever had the pleasure to see. Any other person, he had figured out within 15 minutes, max. But she was different, she intrigued him.

"You're not here to give the loving support of a doting wife?" He scoffed, meeting her gaze.

"I don't plan on supporting you in any way, Daniel. You and I, we're over. I've had lawyers draw up the divorce agreement, the only thing I want from you is a signature." Mulder handed her the paperwork to push in front of him. The anger was building in his eyes as he tensed up at her rejection. Daniel's lawyer pulled the document into view, his eyes widening on what was on paper.

"How dare you -" Daniel began, his lawyer restraining him.

"It's a very generous agreement, are you sure Mrs. Waterston?"

"It's Scully, and yes, I'm sure. I just want this to be over." She addressed the lawyer before turning her attention back to Daniel. He glared at her, stiff and stern.

"You don't get to walk away from me. Do you know who I am? I did this because of you!" He shouted, lunging forward as she pushed herself back from the table. Mulder interjected, helping her from her seat and placing himself between them. Daniel's lawyer was attempting to restrain his client, failing as he made matters worse.

"Mr. Waterston, I suggest you calm down before there's another assault charge added to your case." Mulder warned, protectively standing in front of Dana and blocking her from his view.

He backed off with a huff, losing control of the entire situation. Mulder sensed it, knowing now was the time to get Dana from the room.

"Thank you." He whispered as he turned to face her.

"He didn't sign them." She looked worried, as if the plan had failed. One look into Mulder's eyes and seeing that confident grin on his face, she knew that he had knowledge that she didn't.

"He will, I promise. I think you should go though, it's going to get ugly." She nodded, not wanting to leave just yet. "Why don't you wait in the conference room, and I'll come meet you when I'm done?" He was standing close enough for only her to hear him, both blocking the indistinct yelling from Daniel. She nodded her response, turning to leave as Mulder kept her sheltered from the angry man behind him.

"I'll ruin you. You're nothing without me." Was the last thing she heard as she closed the door behind her. Mulder followed quickly, knowing how those words were affecting her. It was her biggest fear.

"Hey, Scully, wait up." She paused in her stride, wiping her face of the tears that escaped her eyes before facing him.

"I knew he was going to get angry, he's always had a temper. I told myself to expect it, but -" She paused, sniffling. "It's different when you hear it." He didn't think much of the action, pulling her into a comforting hug. She buried her face into his chest, thanking god that she had someone to help her through this. He was a stranger, and the best friend she's ever had.

"I'll be done soon, go on." She nodded, making her way back to the conference room as Mulder entered the interrogation room with a new confidence.

It didn't take Mulder long to crack him. He was nothing but a ball of rage and anger, which usually led to a confession. After the lawyer attempted to make a deal for his client, Mulder instructed that he only wanted one thing with the confession.

"Absolutely not." Daniel's anger built again.

"We're not going to beat that offer." His lawyer was becoming frustrated, having to control his client and keep him from a harsher punishment.

"She doesn't get off that easily." He bit back through gritted teeth. "I'll sign them, if she agrees to be there during the court hearings."

"You'll sign them, or we reconstruct the divorce agreement."

"He'll sign them." His lawyer agreed quickly. Mulder excused himself as they signed the documents, wanting to check on what was really important.

As he made his way to the conference room, he could hear a conversation happening. The voices were familiar, Reggie and Dana. He knew they'd hit it off, and it was rather a comforting thought to him. They were now his two closest confidants, the only people he's ever trusted.

"Yeah, and then Mulder decides that shouting at the two in what he thought was spanish would make them comply."

"They understood enough." Mulder interrupted, glaring at them both as they laughed along to Reggie's story. "You've done enough."

"Well clearly I'm not wanted anymore." Reggie teased, excusing himself from the room.

"I like him."

"Do I need to take him outside?" She laughed, making his heart warm. "I wanted to come and tell you personally, that you should have signed papers by the end of today."

"He agreed so willingly?" She was astonished, surely not Daniel.

"It took some persuading, but his lawyer found the offer very generous, as do I."

"I told you, I don't want anything from him. I just want to go back to New York, pack my things and start my life over." She was exasperated, the emotional exhaustion weighing down on her. Mulder nodded, realizing that this wasn't where she was planning to stay, she had a life elsewhere.

"Well, that should all be an easy process now." He gave her a tight-lipped smile, distancing himself before he had the chance to get hurt by this woman he barely knew.

"Mulder -" She sensed it, not knowing how to reassure him of anything, she didn't even know what was happening in her own life.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Scully. You have my number, let me know if you're ever back in town." He squeezed her arm tenderly, offering a friendly parting smile. Her heart felt heavy, seeing this fragile man break right in front of her. Despite what her life had become in the last 48 hours, seeing this man walk away from her was the feeling that rocked her soul.

* * *

"Dana, we have multiple gunshot wounds coming in. I know you're working in the morgue today, but granted none of these ones end up down there, think we could use you?" Terri came rushing in to change. Dana jumped quickly to her feet, break over.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, we got the call from the emergency unit. Some are critical. It sounds like some kind of police bust gone wrong."

Dana had only been working at D.C. General for about a month. Once she got her life in order, she moved back to be closer to her parents. There was a time that she felt she had nowhere to go, sitting on the bed she used to share with Daniel as she packed her things. She felt lost, as if she had to start her life all over. She practically did.

Her parents were more than happy to have her back, especially because she was staying with them until she found her own place. There was a certainty in her decision to come back, some kind of justice for the women that Daniel raped and murdered. She wanted to work at Georgetown, knowing the staff already, but felt that was far too complicated. Because they knew her, she'd have to prove herself even more, wait for the rumors to die down. D.C. General was hiring for a trauma doctor, and because she had switched to pathology, they agreed to let her help in the morgue as well. She offered her assistance where they needed her.

The first thing she did when she moved to D.C. was call Mulder. The move drained her in more ways than one, and she really needed a friend. There hadn't been any contact between them, mostly on her part. She wanted to sort out her life before she started on a new adventure, which would include Mulder, if she were lucky. He had seemed interested, at least in being her friend. When she moved into her parents' house, she found his business card that he had given her dad. She thought it was fate, that he fell in front of her when she needed him most. Then, when the number was disconnected, she thought it was fate again, saying it wasn't meant to be.

"It's showtime." Terri mumbled as they all scrubbed up. Multiple EMTs began wheeling in person after person. The doctors waiting all grabbed one and made their way to assess the damage.

"These four are the worst, gunshot wounds to the chest. This one has a collapsed lung." Terri grabbed the gurney and made her way to an OR. Dana noticed the attire of the team brought in, they weren't officers, they were dressed too formal. Her heart sank at the realization, they were agents.

The lump in her throat began to build as they wheeled in the next body, seeing him lying lifelessly on the gurney. He looked much the same since she last saw him, though sadder in his features. She grasped onto the cross around her neck, saying a silent prayer. "Mulder."


	3. Chapter 3

"Mulder." Her voice was just a whisper, seeing such a familiar face laying there helplessly. The nurses automatically grabbed his gurney, jumping into action.

"Dr. Scully, where do you want this one?" She shook herself from her thoughts.

"Uh, OR 2 is prepped. I'll be there soon." They began to wheel him by her, but she heard him mumbling something. They had told her that he was losing consciousness, so she leaned in to hear him better.

"Reggie, check on Reggie." He managed to mumble. He was incoherent, voices around him mixed as they buzzed by. The only one that he heard was hers, at least he wanted it to be hers. He hadn't spoken to her in months, having no idea where she decided to start her new life. His eyes only opened a slit, to follow the sweet sound. The glimpse of red hair was what confirmed his dreams. Mustering up enough energy to get out his request, he only hoped that it made enough sense for her to understand.

"I need to operate on you, Mulder." Her hand rested on his shoulder, avoiding the wound. He shook his head.

"Reggie, please."

"Let me check where they took him, and then I'm coming to fix that wound of yours. No arguments." She was firm, but he managed a small smile before losing consciousness again.

She rushed back to the emergency area, checking the board as the nurses updated. She scoured over the names that poured in, asking the nurses station if they had anything on Reggie.

"Uh, Doctor Menendez has him in OR 5." Someone answered, rushing by. She ran back to the operating rooms, attempting to get an update before making her way to her own. Relieved to find out that his wound hadn't hit any major organs or arteries, she rushed back to scrub in.

"Dr. Scully, he lost consciousness, but his vitals are strong. He's going to need a transfusion, he lost a lot of blood." She nodded, thanking the attending as she prepped for surgery.

It was different, operating on someone close to her. Not that Mulder was particularly close, but that never stopped the lingering affection she felt for him. He was a good friend, someone who was there for her during the darkest time of her life. She looked down at his face, a tube down his throat, and wanted to do the same for him. She was going to get him through this.

"Dana, thanks for today, we managed to save them all with your help." Terri sat down beside her in the doctor's lounge. They were both exhausted. After Dana operated on Mulder, she managed to help patch up some of the lesser wounds.

"That's what I'm here for." She smiled sleepily.

"Are you heading home, or are you going to check on your cute patient for the thousandth time tonight?" Terri teased, causing Dana's cheeks to tinge with color.

"He's - a friend."

"Oh, so we know the handsome agent. Do tell."

"There's nothing to tell, Terri. He was a good friend to me recently, before I moved here."

"Well, if he wakes up, I say go for it. You've practically lived at the hospital since you got here. You need to get out, enjoy your life. Especially with him." She teased a final time before going to finish her charts for the evening.

Dana checked on Reggie before heading to Mulder's room. His was practically a flesh wound, though he was still knocked out from the anaesthesia. She wanted to have an answer for Mulder in case he woke up while she was in the room.

She snuck in, checking his chart and monitors. Everything seemed fine, though some of his levels were lower than she would like. The bullet hit just to the right of his heart, in the center of his chest. It missed another organ, but was still lodged deeply inside him. He'd have a tough recovery, but hopefully it wouldn't keep him out too long.

Oh, Mulder...what happened to you? She had somewhat been filled in on the bust, but had no idea how it had gone so wrong. He looked so lonely as he slumbered on, the lines harder on his face. She reached out to stroke his hair, regretting the distance she put between them. The exhaustion taking over, she reclined in the small seat beside his hospital bed, letting sleep take over her.

"Dana, wake up." She felt someone nudging her arm. Disoriented, she slowly opened her eyes, seeing a familiar face smiling back at her.

"Jeff? What are you - oh." She was more tired than she thought, waking up in the recliner in Mulder's room. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Well I'd say he was lucky to have a personal doctor right next to him all night." He smiled at her. He had asked her out a few times since she arrived, though dating was not something on her radar. She came to work, personal life aside. The hospital had practically become her home, throwing herself into working as much as possible.

"He's a friend."

"Oh Dana, I'm so sorry." He rubbed her arm in a friendly gesture. Mulder made a small sound, interrupting the moment. She jumped from her seat, running her hand through his hair.

"Mulder? Can you hear me?" He began coughing, wanting to get the tube out of his throat. "We can take it out, but you need to relax or you'll pull your stitching, okay?" He blinked several times, attempting to shake off the grogginess of the anesthesia as he met her eyes. She smiled at him, his eyes returning the gesture, slightly confused.

She called in the nurse assisting with him, wanting to make sure she had more hands if she needed them. "When I say so, I want you to cough." He nodded slightly, signaling for her to continue. She pulled the tube from him, handing it off to the nurse as she laid him back down gently. Her hands were doing wonders for him and he didn't want it to end. "You're a good patient."

"Lots of practice." He rasped out, causing her to huff out a laugh.

"I'm sure I don't even want to know." She readjusted everything, taking notes of his levels. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was just shot in the chest." He winced, moving to get more comfortable in the hospital bed. He lunged forward, his eyes wide. "Reggie, where's Reggie?"

"Mulder, calm down." She pushed him back gently, knowing he didn't have enough energy to fight her. "I checked on him earlier, his was a through and through. A couple of stitches and some physical therapy and he should be good as new." She watched him sigh in relief, all the energy being drained from him.

"He shouldn't have been there. It was all my fault."

"Dana, I can take over from here, you've been on for two days. Go home." Jeff interrupted, coming back into the room after the patient was taken care of. Mulder glared at this man, how dare he try to take her away.

"It's okay, Jeff. Everything's been done, I'm just here as a friend." He looked between the two, seeing her hand resting knowingly on his shoulder, the other on the back of his neck. He excused himself, understanding why she declined every invitation he's ever given.

"If you're tired, you should go." She looked back at Mulder, hurt that he would dismiss her so quickly. Sighing, she plopped back into the seat beside his bed, this separation was her fault.

"I'm here for a bit." She curled her legs under her, turning to face him. "What happened?"

"I don't know. We had a lead, and went in with the first unit, but the guy trapped the place. There were automatics that just started going off as soon as we entered. I pushed Reggie out of the way, but then the next thing I knew I was down."

"You're damned lucky it didn't hit your heart."

"I'm more concerned about Reggie being okay." She could see the guilt building on his face. It was unnecessary, she knew that. "We never go in on first unit, but I insisted."

"It's not your fault, Mulder." He scoffed, settling further into bed as the exhaustion began to wash over him.

"What are you even doing here?" He wasn't angry, he sounded more hurt. There was a hope that she would have called him at some point while she was getting her life together, but he hadn't heard from her in months.

"I moved back about a month ago. I've been here at the hospital working the trauma unit, and occasionally helping in pathology when they need me."

"Oh, I see." She sighed, seeing the thoughts running through his mind.

"I tried to call." She added quickly. "Your phone was disconnected." She shrugged, looking down and avoiding his eyes.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes. I tend to lose a lot of phones in the field." He smiled sheepishly, relieved that she didn't just move on, leaving him in the past. "Why D.C.?"

"As weird as it may sound, I felt safe here." Her eyes flickered to his, leaving his gaze quickly as she saw the eagerness in his. "I also wanted to do those women some justice, and I figured I'd be able to do that the most coming back to where it all began."

"That's very noble of you."

"Plus, I had a friend here." She smiled at him.

"I - I thought I dreamt you, being here when I was first brought in." He blurted out. Damn those drugs. He winced, not wanting to reveal that piece of information. She jumped quickly, seeing his reaction and checking his monitors.

"Are you in pain?"

"Not physically." She huffed a small laugh, understanding now the embarrassment on his face.

"I am here." Her hand settled gently over his, resting next to his leg. He gave her a gentle squeeze, silently thanking her. "I figure it's my turn to be here for you during a bad time."

"Thank you." He was overcome with emotions, never having someone genuinely care about him the way she did. There was a strange feeling, that he wanted to trust her implicitly, and it scared him. Trust was not something that came easy, there were even things that Reggie still had yet to discover, and they had been partners for 3 years. He felt himself wanting to share his entire soul with her, let her wash away the pains of his past. She was offering friendship, but he was eager to take so much more.

* * *

"You're here early. Wouldn't have anything to do with your special patient, now would it?" Terri teased, catching Dana changing into fresh scrubs in the lounge. She avoided her eyes, burying her face as far into her locker as she could.

"He's -"

"A friend, yeah, so you've said." Terri mocked, causing Dana to glare at her. She had put in extra efforts in her appearance while getting ready, as well as arrived 4 hours prior to her shift. Her mother had asked where she had to be, to which she replied 'errands,' and made a brisk escape. She really needed to find a place of her own.

She made her way to Mulder's room, suddenly nervous, not knowing if her presence would be welcome. He seemed happy to see her the day before, however he was completely doped up on a lot of drugs and just coming off the anesthesia. She could always keep it professional, but he would see right through her, she was sure of that. Without thinking, she diverted her route to head towards another patient's room instead.

"You're awake." She smiled warmly.

"It's good to see you again, Dr. Scully." Reggie returned the warm greeting. Dana's eyes flickered to the woman sitting beside him, a question in her gaze with a raise of her eyebrows. "Oh, um, this is my - uh, this is Rachel. She works at the bureau, too." He fumbled through the words. Dana could instantly tell that whatever this was, it was new. Perhaps tragedy did always bring people together.

"It's nice to meet you." She smiled, turning her attention back to the man healing from a bullet wound. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, get a progress report since I'm sure Mulder's going to ask."

"You've seen him? Is he okay?" Reggie suddenly was completely sober, not having any word on his partner's condition.

"The bullet hit directly in his chest, but he's recovering nicely. I haven't been by to see him yet today."

"I'm sure he's been happy to see you again."

"What do you mean?" Her brows furrowed, there was something about the way he said it that confused her. He almost seemed relieved that they had reconnected.

"He's just been - down, since you left. He usually keeps to himself, but he hardly even talked to me about anything more than work in the last few months."

"Spookier than usual." Rachel chimed in.

"I'm sure that doesn't have anything to do with me." They barely knew each other, and yet she knew the exact feeling that Reggie was describing.

"Oh, so you're both going to be stubborn." He rolled his eyes dramatically, causing her to interrupt from her thoughts with a chuckle. "I tell you what, if he doesn't ask you out by the time he breaks out of the joint, I owe you lunch myself."

"Deal, but keep in mind, I am an expensive date." She winked at him and parted from them both.

There were many things running through her mind as she walked at a glacial pace to Mulder's room. It was down the hall from Reggie's, however, her trip seemed longer with the annoying thoughts bouncing around sporadically. Was she ready to date again, after everything that Daniel put her through? It was different with Mulder, he was purely interested in being her friend above all else, but could that grow into something more? She definitely admired him, though doubted that those feelings were reciprocated. It was an appreciation that she's never quite experienced with anyone else before. She wanted to see where it might lead, knowing that it was some kind of fate to put him in front of her again. The only trepidation she had was that she felt like she hardly knew him at all.

"Please tell the nurses to stop poking me every hour." He whined the minute she walked in the door. They were past the casual greetings, that was somewhat comforting to her. She rolled her eyes at the puppy dog look he had on his face. He was definitely in better spirits.

"Mulder, they're only taking the tests that I ordered. You better be nice to the nurses, they'll bring you all the reject food." He smiled at her teasing, not sure where their conversation from the day before left them. He had been somewhat fuzzy on everything that happened, but her face was the clearest image in his mind.

"You need to work on your bedside manner, Dr. Scully."

"Most of my patients are not this much of a headache." She mock glared at him, checking his chart hanging from the end of his bed. "Everything looks good. I want to check the wound and see how it's healing." She moved towards him, her doctor persona taking over her mind. He watched her with interest, seeing as she untied the corner of his gown and brought it down to reveal his bare chest. Her face was close to his as she pulled back the dressings and began to examine her work.

He loved watching her like this, it was a completely different person than the Dana he had first met. She was precise and highly critical in her movements. There was a deep concentration on her face, and it was as if she blocked out everything else around her, putting all of her attention on the work at hand. He supposed that's what made her such a good doctor.

She changed the bandage, placing a new one gently over his stitching. As she began to retie the gown, she broke her focus and realized that she had sat beside him in the hospital bed as she leaned over him. Her face was inches from his, seeing the hazel eyes staring intently into hers. His face was still, almost waiting for her to make the move. She cleared her throat, finishing the ties as she stood and smoothed out the invisible wrinkles in her pants.

"All check out okay?" There was a slight smirk on his lips as he watched her fluster.

"I'd say you'll be out of here in two weeks if there's no infection."

"Two weeks?!" He groaned, leaning back into his pillows forcefully.

"And no sooner." She pointed him with a glare. "You might need to take it easy once you're home, too. Do - uh…" She cleared her throat again, not sure how to ask this question. Not sure if she wanted the answer. "Do you have anyone at home, that would be able to help with the post care?"

He regarded her for a moment, seeing the genuine wonder in her eyes. She was curious about what he had been up to in her absence, not knowing the impact she had made on his life in those short few days. He had thought about her nonstop. Wanting to give her an appropriate amount of time to figure out what she needed to, given her current status. He realized that he didn't have her number, only giving her his. He prayed to whatever god was out there that she would call, at least once.

"No, there's no one at home." His voice was confident, waiting for her to meet his gaze. After pursing her lips in thought, her tongue came out to wet the bottom one nervously before she met his eyes. He smiled at her, wanting her to understand what he was silently telling her. She nodded, breaking the contact and moving to check on the rest of his charts.

There was something about this man that was pulling her in. She had never felt like this with anyone, not even Daniel. Her ex husband fascinated her, and she admired his work, but there was never this kind of connection with him. Mulder knew her soul, and she was completely comfortable with that. The thought that a man could consume every part of her was thrilling, when thinking of him as the person doing so. Anyone else, she'd be running far away from, but she found herself not wanting to be any distance from him anymore.

"I suppose I could make a few home visits." His eyebrows raised in surprise, the grin on his face growing. "If you wouldn't mind, just to see how you're healing." She quickly amended, seeing where his thoughts were already wandering to.

"If it's not too much trouble for you."

"Not at all." She smiled, both of them settling into a comfortable silence as she found herself sitting in the same chair beside his hospital bed.

"So fill me in, Scully. What have you been up to?"

"Well -" She huffed, thinking about how everything changed so drastically for her in the last few months. "I went back home to pack my things, that was a lot harder than I thought. Being back, in our house, it was a surprise how much it affected me."

"I wish I was there." He blurted before he could catch the words. Damn those drugs. Her cheeks tinged with color at his confession.

"Me, too." Her voice small, but loud enough for him to hear and smile at the reciprocated feelings. "I made my decision to come back to D.C., hoping to find some justice for all those women. I've been staying at my parents' house still, just looking for a place of my own."

"I'm sure they don't mind."

"Oh no, my mother has been loving it, but I'm ready to move out. I know they're making up for lost time, but the coddling has been a little much." He chuckled, enjoying her simple humor.

"Nothing else?" He was asking about her personal life, she knew this. The divorce went through without any further objections from Daniel. She was a free woman. A beautiful, single woman in a new city, Mulder mused.

"Apart from practically living at the hospital, no. I work as much as possible. Mostly to earn enough to leave and because throwing myself into work is how I've been coping I suppose." She shrugged, knowing that the hospital had become her escape. When everything felt heavy on her chest, she worked through the pain, letting the cases take over her mind instead of her own thoughts.

"Well, maybe when I'm released, I can show you more of the city." She raised an eyebrow questioningly, silently asking if he was asking what she thought he was. "I don't know though, my doctor's kind of a hard ass, so we'll have to get her approval first." She swatted at him playfully.

"She's not so bad." Reggie's voice came from the doorway, a nurse pushing him in as he sat in a wheelchair. Mulder sat up a little straighter, Scully helping to adjust him.

"Reggie, I -"

"I'm going to stop you right there, this wasn't your fault." Reggie held up a hand, shaking his head in dismissal of Mulder's attempted apology.

"We shouldn't have been in there."

"It's our job. If I'm going to blame anyone, let's blame the assholes who set the traps." Reggie wheeled closer to his partner's bedside, positioning himself between Mulder and Dana. He leaned in closer to her. "Looks like you owe me lunch, then." He winked at her, causing Mulder to furrow his brow.

"I don't remember that being part of the agreement." She smiled back, a slight blush covering her face.

"Did I miss something?" Mulder hated feeling left out, seeing them teasing between each other.

"Nah, we'll tell you another time." Reggie could sense Mulder's need to know, taunting his partner as much as he could handle before he exploded. Scully excused herself from the room, promising to check on them both later while she was doing rounds.

"Reggie, I really need to tell you how sorry I am." Mulder began, Reggie giving him the look he knew too well. It told him to stop apologizing, and that whatever else he had to say wouldn't be accepted.

"I don't want to hear it." He situated the wheelchair as much as he could with one arm, facing Mulder more clearly. "But what I do want to hear, is about you and Dr. Scully."

* * *

Dana found her day lagging, though not physically. She was itching to check on Mulder again, but she was tending to the 5 car pile up that rolled through around lunch time. They were able to save all but one, which meant she was heading down to the morgue.

She didn't understand where this need to be near him was coming from. If she allowed the possibility, it's almost as if she were becoming dependent on him. That's never happened to her before, and she didn't know whether to be excited or terrified. Sure, she had become fond of him, but they haven't explored anything more than that. They didn't have the opportunity. As she began slicing into the body in front of her, she realized just how quickly everything could change. She wanted to give them that chance. Now, she only had to figure out if he wanted that, too.

After multiple traumas, and an autopsy, she was ready to collapse. Finding the couch empty in the doctor's lounge, she did just that. Her head fell back against the harder cushions as her eyes closed briefly.

"Dana." She felt someone nudging her arm, groaning as she tried to swat them away. "You're not getting rid of me that easily." Terri's voice became clearer as she began to rouse.

"Oh, no. How long did I sleep?" Suddenly, Dana was wide awake, realizing she had only meant to take a small nap to recover from the exhaustion.

"Probably not long enough." Terri reprimanded, knowing this one would spend every waking hour at the hospital. She practically did. "You have a visitor."

Dana's eyes questioned her, brow furrowing as she tried to figure who would be here. She knew Mulder was confined to his hospital bed, well, he was supposed to be anyway. She would have something to say if he decided to venture elsewhere. Terri shrugged at the silent question, directing her towards the nurses station.

As she made her way down to the main desk, she slowed in her stride as she saw Josh standing there with Jamie. Josh was an old high school friend, someone who lived across the street from their house. They were close, always finding time to hang out with each other even though they ran in different social circles. His parents had recently passed, both within the last year. His wife, now ex-wife, didn't want to move with him to the area to take over the house, which was what ultimately lead to their separation. He had full custody of Jamie, their 4 year old son. Dana was happy to see a friendly face when she made her way back to D.C., finding a small ounce of the comfort she had found only a few months prior.

"Well, to what do I owe this pleasure." She smiled, seeing them both standing there with take out bags in their hands.

"We brought dinner!" Jamie exclaimed, holding up the bag he was carrying proudly. She took the offered food, smiling as she hugged him.

"I ran into your mom when I was getting back from picking up Jamie from day care. She said you've been here for days. We thought we'd give you a little break." He was handsome, but not overly so. He had light brown hair, and piercing green eyes. He was lean, and tall in stature. If she had been ready for him, he would have had a chance. The thought passed through her mind as her attentions turned to the door just across the hall. There was no doubt who consumed her mind now.

"Thank you, for my treat." She smiled sweetly at them. "I have been swamped, but I appreciate the meal." Josh nodded, understanding that she would be eating alone. He hadn't wanted to rush her, but he was infatuated with the woman. Jamie had taken to her easily, and he loved watching the two of them together.

"Maybe soon, we can take you to eat a proper meal, outside of the hospital." Josh tried, causing her cheeks to tinge with color. She appreciated the attention, though it's no longer who she desired it from. Another time, another life, perhaps.

"I'll let you know." She gave him a parting smile, hugging Jamie before making her way to Mulder's door.

He had been awake, hearing her voice so close to his room. When he realized she was in the middle of a conversation with someone, he tried not to eavesdrop, but he never really had that kind of willpower. His heart plummeted, hearing a small child's voice and the joy in Scully's when talking to them. He realized that he had missed quite a few months of her life, not that they really knew each other before then. But he had felt something. He had only hoped that she felt it, too.

"How's my favorite patient?" She asked with a sincere smile. He couldn't help but return the gesture.

"I'm sure you say that to all the handsome FBI agents." He teased, though she could tell there was something wrong. His good natured joking didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I see that being cooped up is doing great things for your ego." She rolled her eyes, checking his charts and monitors. There was something standoffish about his demeanor, and she felt suddenly awkward. "I need to check your bandage." Her voice was soft and he felt like an ass. He didn't mean to be pushing her away, but he couldn't help think that maybe there was more to her life than she was letting on.

Mulder remained quiet as she checked his dressings, cleaning up around the area and applying a new bandage. He was trying to not watch her today, she could tell. It was almost disappointing, more so because she didn't know what happened. One minute he was inviting to show her around the city more, almost like a date. Now, it's as if he didn't want her around.

"It's healing nicely. You're still on track for leaving after two weeks." He simply nodded as she tied the top of his gown again. "I guess I'll come back later before I head home."

He sighed, internally groaning at his actions. Before he fell down his usual route of pushing away before he could feel pain, he had to know.

"You have a lunch date?" His tone was only slightly accusing, watching her stop at the end of his bed on her way out of the room. She winced, now knowing that he obviously heard her conversation earlier.

"Mulder."

"It's okay, I guess I should have assumed." He shrugged, feeling sorry for himself. She wanted to roll her eyes at the apparent jealousy on his face, but she found it absolutely endearing.

"Josh is a friend, I knew him in high school. He moved back into his parents' house, which happens to be across the street from mine. It was nice to see a familiar face once I got back." He frowned slightly, he could have been that familiar face. His facial features relaxed, he was glad she had someone. As if reading his mind, she added, "I tried to call, Mulder."

"I know, I'm sorry." He shook his head, dismissing the apology between both of them. "I don't have any right to -"

"I'm glad you're here now." She smiled, taking in their surroundings. "Well, not here exactly, but you know what I mean." He chuckled, nodding his head.

"I'm happy that we were able to reconnect, no matter how it happened." He assured.

They settled into a normal routine for the rest of his time in the hospital. She checked on him as often as she could. Even more after hours, which only the night nurses and Terri knew about. Her family had noticed a change in her. She had more energy, even though she spent most of her time at the hospital. It was like she had a spring in her step, happier to be there than before. Maggie noticed the subtle changes about her daughter, though chose not to comment until Dana was ready to tell her. She thought it might have to do with the occasional visits from Josh, but it was a different kind of joy than when he was around.

Mulder was falling for her, even more than the first time. Reggie had called him on it when he stopped by after being released from the hospital. He knew there was something between them, anyone who had seen them together could sense it. Except for, apparently, these two.

"So when does the love doctor come back?" Reggie teased, causing Mulder to throw an empty water cup at him.

"Stop calling her that. We are just friends, I've told you that." Mulder grumbled, settling back into the bed further. He had been there for almost his two weeks that he was sentenced to, and was ready to break out.

"Yeah, right, I just don't believe you."

"She doesn't -" His voice was cut off by the presence of the person herself. She smiled at both of them, happy to see Reggie up and out with a full recovery.

"I hope you're not here to help him escape as he's threatened so many times already. He still has a few days before I discharge him." She said pointedly at them both, though there was a teasing smile on her lips.

"Please, I wouldn't want to then have to take care of him once we broke out. I'd say I've done my fair share of that already."

"How is your shoulder feeling?"

"Great, it's a little sore, and I'll be in PT to get my range of motion back, but I can't complain." She smiled, happy to hear that he was doing fine.

"How are you today?" Her attention turned back to Mulder as she began to check his charts.

"Whiny, as usual." Reggie chimed in, causing Mulder to glare at his partner mockingly. Scully chuckled, turning to hide her amusement.

"I'd say visiting hours are over for you."

"Fine, fine." Reggie held up his hands in surrender. "I will see you in a few days, Mulder. Dr. Scully, a pleasure as always. I hope I see you around as well." He winked at both of them, leaving them alone as the color rose to both of their faces with the implications of his parting.

"Always such a charmer." Mulder mumbled, attempting to break the silence.

"He's a nice guy. It's nice to have more friends in the city." She realized what she said, seeing Mulder's face fall slightly. He was definitely more than a friend, her best friend in such a short time. She just didn't know if that's all he was willing to offer her. In her hopes for what they would eventually be, she failed to consider that maybe that's not what he wanted. Starting a relationship following what they had been through together would be tricky. They had come together in both of their times of need, it had not been a chance meeting under normal circumstances. Maybe they only found solace in the comfort of each other, and nothing more. Her father always told her that there was a light at the end of every tunnel, but their tunnel seemed to be never ending.

"So when can I break free?" He asked as she finished checking on his wound. She was thankful for the change of subject.

"Everything's healing amazingly, you had a great doctor." A small smirk appeared on her lips. "Maybe by the end of the week."

"Scully…" He whined, groaning at his confinements.

"Reggie was right, you are whiny."

"I just hate being in hospitals."

"Maybe you shouldn't end up in them as often then." She said jokingly, though there was some truth and concern behind her statement.

"Sometimes, it's just the job."

"If you had someone at home, I'd release you earlier, but you don't, so I need to monitor you here until I'm okay with you being on your own." She gave an exasperated sigh at his puppy dog face, one hand on her hip. "Do you have any friends you could stay with?"

"Reggie would take me in, but he's still recovering, too. I don't want to imposition him anyway, he was also right about doing his fair share of having to take care of me." She furrowed her brow, wanting to know more of what he meant. He just shook his head, he would tell her another time.

"Then I guess you're mine until the end of the week." She smiled triumphantly, finishing her notes on his chart and placing it back at the end of his bed.

"Just until then?" He didn't know what prompted his question, but it caught them both by surprise. Her eyebrow quirked in response, leaving the room without another word. He chose to take it as a positive answer.

* * *

"You really didn't need to help me home." He had tried to assure her that he could get home on his own, but she insisted. He was a little slow moving, but recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest would do that to you.

"Mulder, I sure as hell wasn't going to let you just take a cab from the hospital." She sighed, exasperated with this man. This had been an ongoing argument for the past 2 days. But Dana Scully always gets her way.

She observed his living space, it screamed bachelor pad. It was almost mysterious, decorated with a dark leather couch and darker furniture. There was no womanly touch, she made sure to note. The kitchen looked bare, she was positive that the fridge was even emptier. She might have to fix that. Her thoughts were broken as Mulder groaned in attempt to make himself comfortable on the couch.

"It's probably best if you're in bed, Mulder."

"Uh, actually, I usually sleep here."

"You can't be serious." Her hands were on her hips, looking at him with shock horror on her face at the prospect of the idea. He wanted to smile at how much she cared.

"It's cool, Scully, I'm used to it." He wiggled himself further onto the couch, grinning up at her. She rolled her eyes, making her way into the kitchen. Just as she suspected, the fridge was bare.

"You need real food. Nothing heavy, but soup and soft foods."

"I don't think the pizza place has soup." She huffed out a disbelieving laugh, though she wasn't entirely surprised. His entire life screamed bachelor, it only fit that he lived up to the stereotype.

"I'm going to run to the store, pick up a few things." He attempted to sit up again, shaking his head.

"Please don't bother over me. You're using your day off to still work, you should be home or out doing something else. Anything else."

"Mulder, really, I don't mind. This is just me helping you when you need it. Returning the friendly favor." She smiled, gathering her purse and jacket.

"Take the spare key on the table by the door. I can already feel the meds kicking in again, so ignore the snoring when you get back." He smiled sheepishly at her, a slight shrug.

When she returned, sure enough, Mulder was passed out on the couch. She smiled at the sight, the past few days she had spent many hours next to his hospital bed as he slept. It had become a comfort for her, to be close to him again. They shared something that no one else did.

He roused to a smell that had never entered his apartment. It smelled better than his usual delivered chinese food. He rubbed his face with his hands, attempting to shake the grogginess. Yawning, he sat up slowly, wincing slightly at the pain. She was next to him immediately.

"Where does it hurt?" Concerned Dr. Scully was out in full force.

"It's just a little stiff." He smiled at her reassuringly. "What's that wonderful smell?"

"Real food." She teased, seeing him mock glare at her. "It's homemade soup, nothing too big."

"You really didn't have to do that."

"I don't mind, Mulder. Let me do this." She made sure that her words were actually getting through his head. She wanted to be here.

After she fussed over making sure he ate and that he was settled on the couch, which he was adamant about, she began to gather her things to leave. He didn't want her to go, but there was nothing justifiable keeping her here. Mulder was able to move around on his own, albeit a little slower than usual, but he didn't need the assistance.

"I'm going to get out of your way. I'll be by tomorrow to check on you before and after work if things don't run too late." They smiled at each other sheepishly. "I brought your mail in for you as well. There was a stack on your table, so I added it to that." She handed him the bundle as he sat up straighter on his couch to retrieve it. He plucked a large envelope out with purpose, staring at it as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. It arrived the morning before he stormed into a trapped location and left with a bullet in his chest. One of the worst days of his life.

That was until Scully appeared again, when he needed her the most. He could feel her watching him, a question on her face as to what was causing him to be so distraught. How the hell was he supposed to explain this one to her? It was never mentioned in their time together, not that it was something he was proud to talk about. He chose to forget about it, run away from the reality of what was happening in his life.

"My divorce papers." His voice broke both of them from their thoughts. She was startled, he had never said anything of the sort. His apartment looked like it had only been him for a long time. The brooding, mysterious persona he carried with him would have led her to believe that he had been lonely. Apparently, they shared more than she thought.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know." He huffed out a chuckle, shaking his head.

"I hardly knew." She laid her purse and coat on the edge of the couch, sitting beside him, wanting to know more. "Diana and I, we met and married fast. We didn't even live together at the time, we were still working out the logistics. Then, one day, she got an opportunity to work counter terrorism in Europe, and her bags were packed later that afternoon."

"She just left?" Scully couldn't fathom some woman just leaving without a word. Sure, her marriage wasn't picture perfect before Daniel was found to be a murderer and rapist, but somehow the hurt that she felt didn't amount to what she could see on his face.

"Yeah, I got this the morning I was shot." He shrugged, tossing it on the coffee table in front of him. "It's just a matter of signing and finalizing. I've been a little busy." He felt her hand cover his, squeezing gently as she smiled at him. Whatever guilt he was feeling for himself was diminishing at her touch. Their eyes met, holding each other's gaze, slightly leaning towards each other.

They didn't know how it happened, but they found each other when they both needed a friend the most. Mulder wanted to kiss her, but he didn't want to ruin whatever was beginning between them. He was absolutely captivated by her mouth, watching as her tongue peaked out to lick her lower lip. She wasn't resisting, wasn't pulling away. There was a surprised look on her face, predicting what was about to happen. He also saw fear in her eyes, not understanding where it was coming from. She didn't know if she was ready for this, but she desperately wanted it, wanted to know if she could feel something. The knock at the door made them both jump.

"I'll get it." She cleared her throat, removing her hand from his. He pouted at the loss of contact, closing his eyes as he exhaled deeply from what almost happened between them.

"Oh, uh -" A man in a plain, brown suit look startled, seeing a woman answering Mulder's door.

"Well, you're not what we usually see here, but it's a nice improvement." The smaller one leered at her.

"Leave her alone, Frohike." Mulder's voice came from behind her. He seemed to know these strange men, so she moved aside to allow them entrance. "These are the three stooges. You've met Frohike and Byers, the other one is Langly." He introduced as they all nodded their greeting at her. The shock on their faces that Mulder had female company was not lost on her.

"It was nice to meet you all." She gathered her things, signaling her exit. Mulder stood, wanting to escort her to the door. He ignored the shaking of her head, not wanting him to bother, he really needed to rest. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He simply nodded, not sure whether or not to address what almost happened. He could sense that she was uncomfortable, so he rubbed his hand gently up and down her arm, making her relax. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, a familiar gesture that they had both become fond of. She was careful to avoid his wound, but that didn't stop him from pulling her in closer.

"Thank you." He smiled down at her, a heavier meaning in his words. It wasn't lost on them both that they had an audience, so she separated from him quietly, making her exit.

"Well, it looks like you came home with more than a nice scar." Frohike teased, causing Mulder to smile. He hoped he had her.

* * *

It had been a month of Scully checking on Mulder, making sure his recovery was in full progress. They had grown closer, stolen moments between each other, but never anything more. He still hadn't kissed her, not finding the nerve to try again, not wanting to ruin what they were building. She spent a good portion of her off time at his apartment, cooking for him and having random movie nights. He appreciated her company, and she hadn't gone running.

Everything changed when he went back to work. Patterson threw him into cases, even though he wasn't cleared for field duty yet. He only needed his mind. It was taking a toll on him, putting a slight strain on his relationship with Scully, if you could call it that. They hadn't had much time to see each other, with her hospital hours, and his physical exhaustion at the end of each taxing day.

"Maybe we'll see each other this weekend." Was always the response, left on a voicemail message. He missed her, it was as simple as that.

"Mulder, you've been requested by Senator Matheson." Patterson grumbled, calling him into his office. He hated when other people took a liking to his best agent, it meant harder work for their team. "It's an undercover assignment."

"I'm not cleared for field duty." He said insistently.

"It's not so much a field assignment. You won't even need your weapon. He wants you to pose as someone on his staff. He thinks there's a leak, and he trusts you to be the person to find out who it is." Patterson shrugged, handing him the file.

Mulder sighed, this assignment could take weeks. Undercover meant being away from home, being away from Scully, even more than he has been. He never wanted to burden her with the person he became when he profiled. Diana couldn't handle it, and she worked alongside him, understood what he was going through without really understanding it. He needed to call her.

"Woah, dude, where's the fire?" Reggie asked, seeing Mulder throwing some things in a box from his desk. "I know Patterson didn't can you, so what's going on?"

"I've been requested from Matheson, I have to go undercover. I don't know how long I'll be gone." Mulder shrugged, rushing to gather his things.

"Did you have to be there yesterday? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I wanted to stop by the hospital before I go home to pack." He mumbled, hoping Reggie would just drop it.

"Oh, I see." He said in a teasing voice. "A certain appointment with the love doctor?"

"We're just -"

"Friends. Yeah, I know." Reggie chuckled, shaking his head as he left his partner to pack some of his things. "I'll see you when you're back then." He clamped his friend on the shoulder, wishing him a wordless good luck.

Mulder had limited time before he was supposed to report to Matheson. He was cutting it close, but he had to see her before he just disappeared. Their last conversation was short, her yawning disrupting the late night phone call. He felt bad, calling her so late, but he missed her. This was too big for a message on an answering machine.

He approached the nurses station, asking for Dr. Scully. They had said she was with a patient, but he was welcome to sit in the waiting room. He didn't have much time, waiting for them to become distracted so he could slip down the hall to her office.

He should have bought flowers, something, but he would make it up to her later. He smiled as he neared her office, hearing her voice from down the hall. The other voice was what made him slow his stride. He's heard it before, now mixed with her laughter. Something he rarely heard. He knew she enjoyed spending time with him, but it wasn't as carefree as what he was experiencing right now. They had something deeper, something more. Or so he thought.

"Josh, I really am swamped right now." She said with a slight chuckle to her words.

"Dana, I'm just asking for a lunch date. You've turned down dinner, so I need to lower the bar a little. Coffee, even." She laughed again at his eagerness.

"I can do coffee."

Mulder's heart sank, this was another part of her life that he never even bothered to ask about. He was so selfish, just assuming that all of her free time was spent with him. They hadn't seen each other as often, but he didn't think that she would just move on. Not that they had a relationship, he didn't know what they had. She had become his best friend, he trusted her.

He panicked, knowing they would be exiting the office soon. Maybe it was best this way, that she not know where he was. Maybe the space was what they both needed to figure out what they wanted. She had other prospects, and he never wanted to be the person to hold her back from something that made her happy. He left a note at the nurses station for her, ignoring their accusing stares since he clearly snuck away from them.

"Dr. Scully, this was left for you." A nurse handed her the note as she was leaving with Josh. She thanked her, puzzled as she opened the scratch paper. Her heart clenched as she read the words, Josh forgotten as her mind clouded.

'Scully, I have to go away. I wish you the best. -Mulder.'


	4. Chapter 4

She was fuming, how dare he disappear on her. Sure, she had become accustomed to his busier work schedule now that they had developed...something, but she never expected him to outright ditch her. Scully paused her thoughts, suddenly feeling that she had no right to act like some jilted girlfriend. They had become close in the month that she spent at his apartment, making him dinners and helping in his recovery process. He was her friend, her best friend in such a short time, if she would allow herself to accept that. Most people were kept an arm's distance from her, afraid of revealing her true emotions. It was easier to shelter them behind her work. If he had been at the hospital to purposely see her, why did he leave without a word?

The note he left was crumpled in her hand as she banged on the door of his apartment for the fourth time. It was a soft, wary knock at first, now becoming more persistent. Remembering she still had the spare key, she fiddled with it in her hands, contemplating on invading his privacy. The key was in the lock, her hand turning the knob before she had another moment to second guess her actions.

It looked just as she had last seen it. There was nothing that screamed that he would just pick up and move. That thought was somewhat reassuring as she tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Making her way to his bedroom, she finally realized that he had after multiple visits to his apartment, she noticed the closet disheveled. He left in a hurry, wherever he was going. The drawers were slightly askew, as if he were escaping. What the hell was happening?

She sat on his couch, at a loss of what to do. Why would he just leave? Their communications had somewhat decreased once he went back to work, but that was to be expected. They always made time for each other, even a short conversation before bed. She thought that meant something, but he hadn't made a move since that first night in his apartment, so she thought maybe not.

Her eyes caught the picture frame that was on his desk, the picture of his sister, Samantha. He wouldn't leave without it, which meant he was coming back. Something new raged inside of her. If he were just leaving for a short while, he could have left more than a note. Was it a case, was it some kind of family emergency? She had no idea, but she knew someone who might.

Scully paced the front lobby of the Hoover building, waiting for her guest. There was something he wasn't telling her, she could sense that much. Her suspicions were only confirmed by the wide-eyed, guilty look on his face as he approached her.

"Come to pay your dues and take me out to lunch Dr. Scully?" Reggie attempted a joke, it usually worked for Mulder. He could tell she was pissed, nothing was going to work on this one. Nothing but answers.

"I came to ask you where your partner disappeared to." Her lips were pursed, arms crossed over her chest in a defensive, demanding stance. Now he was confused.

"He said he was going to see you before he left."

"All I received was a note." She presented Reggie with the crumpled up piece of paper that she had placed in her pocket. This woman would make one hell of an agent, he thought.

"Did something happen?"

"What do you mean?" Reggie sighed, running his hand over his face and through his hair. He didn't know how much he should disclose to her, and what Mulder would kill him for telling.

"He was adamant about telling you in person. He said it was too big to just leave a message if he missed you when he called. Unless something happened, this doesn't make sense."

"Nothing happened, I never even saw him!" She exclaimed, exasperated with this whole thing. "I was in my office, and when I went to leave for lunch, they gave me this note."

"Were you alone?" His interrogation mode was kicking in, something she did not particularly appreciate.

"I was with my friend, I don't see how -" Her words stopped short. She sighed, closing her eyes with a loud groan. She remembered the hurt in Mulder's eyes the first time Josh made an unexpected appearance at the hospital. The assurance she gave him that he was just a friend clearly gone from his mind. "I think I know what happened."

"You've only known Mulder for a short time, but there's a lot of layers to that man. He trusts you to open up about some things, but I can guarantee you he's holding back a lot. Hell, I can tell you there's still things I don't know about him, and we've been partners for years."

"Why did he have to leave so quickly? Did something happen?" Reggie only faltered for a moment, glancing around the crowded lobby filled with agents going to and from their lunch breaks. "Let's take a walk."

He led her far enough away from any prying eyes and ears, not that many people paid him much attention. Mulder had certainly made a name for himself, and most new Reggie by association, though he wasn't nearly as much trouble as his partner. He could see the worried expression that hadn't left her face, not understanding what was going on. He felt for her.

"He's been assigned a case."

"I haven't cleared him for field duty yet."

"It's not really a field assignment." He said vaguely, causing her eyes to narrow. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing this wasn't going to be easy. "Mulder is in undercover." Reggie held up his hand at her beginning protests. "It's not physical, they need him to profile someone."

"I don't understand. He's still recovering. Why him?"

"He was requested, I can't tell you by who. He's not in any danger." He watched as she visibly relaxed. Mulder was usually the profiler between them, but Reggie was really testing his skills here.

"Are you sure?" Her voice was worried so he tried to ease the tension.

"Well, it's Mulder, so he tends to find his own trouble." He paused with the inclination, causing her to smile. "But the case itself is not endangering him in any way."

"How long will he be gone?"

"It's hard to say. These things could take weeks, but it's Mulder, so it could be tomorrow. Just depends on what kind of mindset he's in." Reggie's voice trailed off with the slight accusation. Knowing now that Mulder was walking into this assignment dragging his feet, rather than floating on the cloud he was on earlier in the day, caused him to worry. His partner could be reckless when in a certain mood. "What has he told you about himself?"

Scully was taken back by the question. Was this some kind of test? She couldn't decipher what Reggie was asking exactly. Shifting uncomfortably on her feet, she bit her lip before proceeding with a response. "He's told me about his work with Violent Crimes, he's told me about his divorced parents, his time at Oxford, his ex wife." She paused to gauge his reaction, seeing if he found the answer he was looking for. "He told me about Samantha." Reggie's eyes widened slightly, nodding as she finished her explanation. It took him a year to find out why Mulder was the way he was, and even then, he knew some details were hidden for his own benefit. If his partner trusted this woman with that much information in such a short time, then his heart was broken more than he originally thought. He needed to get in touch with him, soon.

She didn't know what she triggered, but she could tell by the look in Reggie's eyes that she wasn't going to like his next question.

"Would you say he's worth it to stick around for? I mean, he didn't exactly handle the things the way he should have, and he can be an idiot, but I don't want to see him get hurt again." Both of their minds went straight to Diana, there was a mutual understanding that passed between them. She didn't know the extent that he was hurt by her actions, but she could sense that Reggie had to do a lot of looking after Mulder after she left.

"Yes, he's my friend." Reggie nearly rolled his eyes at the familiar words. How could these two both be completely clueless as to how the other felt. "What?"

"Nothing, I've just heard that line before." She frowned slightly, her face falling as she realized he was talking about Mulder. Sure, she couldn't really expect anything more, they hadn't moved into any kind of romantic relationship in their time together. They enjoyed each other's company, and on a few hopeful nights, she thought he might kiss her, but it never became of anything. Maybe she was reading too much into this. Not that there was any fault in their current relationship, she'd rather have him as a friend than nothing at all. It was just on some lonely nights, when she fell asleep curled up on the end of his couch, that she wished they were something more.

Reggie could practically read her thoughts by her facial expressions. Mulder had always said she was on the reserved side when it came to opening up to him, but he felt barriers being broken down as she served him dinner that she made while he recovered. He knew he needed to ease her mind just as much as he did his partner's. "It was a lie when he said it, too."

Her cheeks were flaming, she could practically feel the flush all the way down to her toes. No one had ever called her out on her feelings before, not even her mother who pried into her good mood as of lately.

"Reggie -"

"I don't need an explanation, but you two should really talk." She attempted to suppress her embarrassed grin, hiding her eyes from him. "I'm going to reach out to him the best I can, but you just need to be patient." She huffed out a heavy sigh, almost groaning at the thought. She wanted to fix it now.

"Just, let him know -" She began, questioning what exactly it was that she wanted Mulder to know. "Tell him, I'll be waiting for him when he gets back." Reggie smiled, that's what he was hoping to hear. "And tell him if he damages the wound I closed up, I'll kick his ass." He had to laugh, that was the Dr. Scully he had met. The worried woman standing before him only moments before had been Dana, someone he was also becoming fond of as his friend.

* * *

Mulder's mind was on anything other than the boring staff meetings he had to endure. He didn't know how non-field agents did this on a regular day. The only difference was that he was now Michael Williams, bored out of his mind Staff Advisor to Senator Matheson. The good senator was more than happy that Mulder accepted his request, not that he really had a choice in the matter.

"I would also like to welcome a new junior Staff Advisor to the team, Michael Williams." Mulder perked up at his false name, nodding to the room. No one seemed to pay him any extra attention, except for a brunette who he understood to be a secretary to the team. He seemed to have her undivided attention. He mentally scoffed. Any other time, he would be more than happy to play on her silent advances, but he couldn't bring himself to enjoy the pursuit anymore. The only thing that kept replaying in his head was the sound of Scully's laughter echoing down the hospital corridors, due to another man's presence.

"How you settling in?" Matheson asked as they were alone in his office.

"I'm just getting adjusted to everything, thanks." Mulder put his finger up to his lips to signal for them to remain quiet while he swept the office for bugs. His paranoia was really coming in handy. He looked over as much as he could, not finding any in the obvious places, feeling it was safe to talk briefly. "Can never be too sure."

"I appreciate you being here, there's just been too many incidents recently with information leaking." Matheson leaned back in his chair, hands crossed in his lap. "I don't know if you were informed before getting here, but there's also been a death threat."

"How recently?" Mulder's interest was now peaked.

"Just a few days, before I requested your help."

"I'm not cleared for field duty yet, sir."

"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that." Mulder nodded his understanding, leaving the room without another word.

When he arrived at the room in Matheson's residence, where he was being housed, he checked it thoroughly for bugs, knowing he had to make several calls in to Patterson for updates. This was definitely a new detail that he was not aware of.

"Patterson."

"It's Mulder."

"A little early for a break in the case, Mulder. Even for you."

"Were you aware of the death threats that Matheson received?" He asked through gritted teeth. He already knew the answer.

"It may have been mentioned." Mulder would have thrown his phone across the room if he didn't think it would give Patterson some sort of satisfaction.

"You know I'm not cleared for field duty, why the hell would you put me on this case?"

"Agent Mulder, I'm going to need you to contain your temper. You were requested, and I was assured that no further actions had been taken. Call me when you have an update. Oh, and call your partner." The click on the line caused Mulder's rage to build. What the hell was Patterson thinking? He took a few deep breaths before calling Reggie.

"How did you manage to piss of Patterson, it's only been a day." He didn't bother with the pleasantries of a 'hello,' he could tell from the yelling in the other office who was calling.

"It's good to know you missed me, too." Mulder grumbled into the phone. "Why am I calling you?"

"Well, first, because you're an ass."

"You couldn't wait until I got back to tell me that?"

"And second, because the love doctor came to visit me today. You really did it this time, buddy." Mulder was floored by what he was hearing. Scully had come after him, wanting answers for the pathetic note he left in his wake. He wanted to take it back as soon as he walked out of the hospital, but he couldn't risk seeing her with that guy. She had assured him before that they were only friends, but then, that's all they were as well. There were many nights that she spent snuggled next to him on his couch, looking comfortable in his company. He wanted to kiss her, losing every ounce of courage he had ever built up when it came to her. His relationships never ended in anything other than disasters, and he couldn't chance that with this one. She deserved more than what he could give her.

"Wh - uh, what did she say?"

"She wanted to know why you ditched her."

"I didn't ditch her, she was just...busy. I left a note." Mulder grumbled, knowing what his excuse sounded like.

"Yeah, I read that, too. What the hell happened?" He sighed, not really wanting to get into this with Reggie. If he was going to argue about it with anyone, it would be the woman in question.

"It's a long story, and I was an idiot." Mulder scoffed. "Maybe not as long of a story as I thought." He was thankful for the knock at his door, needing any kind of distraction. It didn't occur to him that he should be more cautious opening his door. His eyes widened as he saw the brunette from the meeting. Her name escaping him as he wasn't really paying attention to the introductions in the first place. "I'm going to have to call you back."

"Before you go, she told me to tell you that if you mess up her handiwork, she'll kick your ass." Mulder smiled into his phone, a silent apology to the woman standing at his door. She shook her head, letting him finish his call.

"Yeah, I'll uh - talk to you later." He hung up quickly, not wanting to divulge too much information that would lead to questions about himself. "Sorry about that."

"No worries, I was just coming by to introduce myself. We didn't meet properly earlier, I'm Angela." She held out her hand as he took the offered gesture. He could tell that she was trying way too hard, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable as she smiled at him almost sinsterly.

"It's nice to meet you Angela. I'm Michael."

"Oh, I know who you are. Matheson raved about you before the meeting, I was very eager to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." He smiled a friendly, tight-lipped smile, desperately hoping she would leave. He wasn't really up for the small talk that she seemed intent on creating.

He listened and nodded mindlessly as she rattled on about the odds and ends of the office. She explained what they were currently working on, a fundraiser with the local Naval base. Matheson being former Navy himself, it came as no surprise to Mulder. His thoughts wandered off to Reggie's phone call. He smiled to himself, knowing that his little redhead cared enough to come after him when he ultimately ditched her. There would be a lot of apologizing once he was done with the case, if he were ever done.

Matheson had a large staff, all working different avenues of his office. Mulder's primary assignment was to find the person leaking information to other offices to bring down Matheson's chances of reelection. His primary focus were the interns and administrative office staff, the people who had the least to lose and the most to gain. Mulder attempted to create a profile on his way to the residence, but kept coming up empty without meeting the people in question.

"You'll be there, right?" Angela's question brought him back from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" He gave her a sheepish smile, her knowing look made him feel guilty.

"The fundraiser, it's next weekend, you'll be attending I assume."

"Oh, I hadn't thought much about it. I assumed all the seats were already reserved."

"They are, but we always save a few extra seats." She moved closer to him, smiling up through her lashes. "Or, you could be my date."

He didn't want to agree, but figured this would be his best way into that office. They were all his prime suspects, including the younger woman standing before him with cheap lipstick covering her mouth.

"Sure." He nodded, then excusing himself for the evening to 'settle in.' Thankfully for Mulder, she took the hint and left him alone for the night. He sighed, leaning heavily against the door, the exhaustion overcoming him.

Mulder tossed and turned that evening, the unresolved issue with Scully haunting his mind. He didn't want to chance making any more personal calls, but he desperately needed to speak with her. Capturing his bottom lip between his index finger and thumb in thought, he picked up the phone. Better judgement and rule abiding were never his strong suits.

As the phone rang, he felt guilty when he realized it was nearly 2:00 am. It wouldn't be the first time he called her in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep. Making his complaints was what ultimately led her to casually fall asleep on his couch at his apartment more often, even if she didn't want to admit it.

"Mm 'ello?" Her voice was husky with sleep. She half consciously answered the incessantly ringing phone without a second thought.

He was silent for a moment, unsure if he should just hang up. He didn't have much energy for a fight, but he wanted to hear her voice. "Scully…"

She furrowed her brow before the recognition of his voice kicked in. That, and he's the only one who called her that. She sat up in bed, more alert than she was waking from a deep sleep.

"Mulder, what -"

"I can't talk long, I just...I wanted to say that I'm sorry." He heard her sigh, unable to detect whether that was a good or bad thing.

"I talked to Reggie, I know why you had to leave."

"I know, I spoke with him a while ago."

"Did he tell you that if you open your wound, I'll kick your ass?" Her voice was teasing and he relaxed. She wasn't angry, which is what he feared. He was used to rejection in his past, but hers would destroy him.

"He mentioned that." He said with a light chuckle. She smiled into the phone, unable to be angry with him, as frustrating as he was.

"Good." She huffed jokingly. They were both silent again. "Mulder, I know when you came to the hospital that I was with Josh, but I -"

"No, it's okay. I jumped to conclusions, and overreacted, and I really had no right to treat you the way I did." He blurted out before she gave him an unnecessary apology. Her smile grew at his flustered words. There was a wordless agreement that passed between them, they were okay.

"How long are you gone for?"

"I wish I knew." He let out a resigned sigh, knowing he had to cut his phone conversation shorter than he would have liked. There were employees everywhere, and everyone was a suspect. He was supposed to be unmarried, unattached, and long phone conversations in the middle of the night would make people wonder. "I do have to go soon though."

"I'm glad you called."

"I am, too. I'll try to sneak a phone call out sometime later this week."

"It's a date." She said confidently, hearing a small gasp on his end. She knew she had him. "Good night, Mulder."

"Night." Was all he managed to get out, the grin plastered on his face only growing. This woman was doing things to him, and he was enjoying every minute of it.

* * *

Mulder had been surveilling the office for a week, turning up nothing. Matheson was becoming frustrated, which he understood. He himself was starting to feel hopeless. They were pulling out all the stops as far as security went for the fundraiser that evening, Mulder having a hunch that whoever was behind this, was going to make a bigger display when there was esteemed company present.

The banquet hall would shortly be filled with Naval Officers, other Congressmen and political figures, and D.C.'s socialites who just wanted to buy a seat to be in good company. Mulder had been provided a list of the attendees, but hadn't bothered to glance through the hundreds of names. He knew that whoever was doing this, was working closely in the office.

The information being leaked was about Matheson's past and contradicting stances on certain laws from his college and Navy years, to now. With as much press that would be there, they were taking every precaution. Mulder assured Matheson that the suspect wasn't physically threatening, but could do some damage to his future campaigns.

He stood in front of the mirror in his room, sighing at the monkey suit that he dreaded wearing. His childhood took him to enough formal events, that when he had the option to go, he always chose against the idea. The fact that he had a date with a woman who he knew would be putting forth every effort she had, did not raise his spirits. Luckily, she had agreed to meet him there.

As he arrived, Matheson had introduced him to a few fellow senators of neighboring areas, Mulder shaking their hands with causal pleasantries. His date spotted him from across the room, making a beeline in his direction. He excused himself before having to make the awkward introductions there as well.

"Well, you clean up nice." Angela flashed him a flirtatious grin and he already dreaded the rest of the evening.

"You look lovely." He gave her a forced smile, remembering that her office held the primary suspects.

She led him to the group that she had been chatting with prior to his arrival. It was filled with temps and interns, a few clerical staffers and other secretaries. He was bored out of his mind, desperately trying to maintain his willpower to do his job and profile each of them. They seemed like runts, none of them manipulative enough to pull off anything as intricate as the leaks have been.

"There's a lot of different people here." One of them spoke up, his name was Luke, if he remembered correctly.

"Yeah, lots of military types and the big deals in politics." Another chimed in, the conversation seeming endless to Mulder as he excused himself to get another drink at the bar.

There was a line at the bar, no doubt others who were just as bored out of their mind as he was, looking for the easiest escape. He was hit on by a few already buzzed wives of men in the room, gently declining their advances. If he could sneak out and leave, he would.

"What are you drinking tonight, Dana?" Mulder's head perked up at the name, looking towards the end of the bar and seeing nothing but a sea of people. He couldn't make out who was talking, he couldn't see anything.

"Just wine, please." He then used his height to look over the group as much as he could, he knew that voice, could easily pick it out of a crowd. It's the same voice that occupied his dreams.

"I never had a moment to thank you for bringing me tonight."

"I'm sorry it was so last minute, I wasn't even sure I wanted to come, but my parents insisted."

"Well, I'm glad I had the opportunity to see you in that dress." Mulder nearly groaned in frustration, he wanted to see her in whatever was stealing the attention of not only her date, but a few others around them.

The bartender had to nearly shout at Mulder to take his drink, his mind clearly elsewhere. He mentally chastised himself, he should have reviewed the guest list. He briskly made his way through the crowd, finding himself closer to the sound of her voice. He hadn't had a chance to call her again, and this was too good to be true. Mulder stopped short at the sight of her 'date' for the evening. She had told him, time and again, that they were just friends, but they seemed awfully chummy standing closely together. Josh was leaning in, speaking close so that only she could hear, whatever he was saying had the magic to make her laugh.

Before he had a chance to escape, Josh looked up quizzically at the man who was awkwardly staring at the pair. She turned to see what had caught his attention, her eyes widening at seeing him in what felt like forever. Scully stepped forward to hug him, his name on her lips with only the sound 'M' escaping before he slightly shook his head. They seemed to both remember that he was supposed to be undercover at the same time.

"Dana?" Josh came up next to her, his hand resting almost posessively on her elbow.

"I'm sorry, this is, uh -"

"Michael Williams, it's nice to meet you." Mulder held out his hand pleasantly, even though he had every urge to make his hand a fist and deck the guy for no reason other than jealousy. Not that he would ever admit that.

"I know Michael from...a friend." She explained vaguely, feeling caught in every sense of the word.

"Nice to meet you, too." Josh shook the offered hand, sizing him up. Scully wanted to roll her eyes at both of them. "We should take our seats." He began to lead her away, a moment of panic and resistance taking over.

"Actually, I'll be right there." She smiled at him reassuringly, the dismissal clear. He simply nodded, wandering off to find her parents. "What are you doing here?" She whispered and he found it absolutely adorable, like they were in some covert operation. Well, he technically was.

"The person I'm working for, is hosting the event tonight." He said broadly enough for anyone around them eavesdropping. After the shock of seeing her wore off, he noticed what she was wearing. It was a fitted, floor length gown in a deep blue that contrasted her skin and brought out her eyes. It was cut straight across with thin straps barely holding up the bodice. The cleavage, that he could clearly see with a nice height difference, was what made him catch his breath. She blushed under his gaze, attempting to hide her smirk. "Wow."

"Wow yourself." She stepped closer, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her. He had deprived himself for too long.

Before either of them could say another word, Angela was by his side, slipping her arm through his bent elbow of the arm that held his drink. Scully's entire demeanor completely changed, seeing this woman hanging off him. She straightened her back, jutting out her chin confidently and defiantly. Her lips were pursed, eyebrow raised, and Mulder immediately knew she was not amused.

"Michael, we should take our seats, the speeches are going to start soon." Angela attempted to say in a sultry tone, though to Mulder, it only sounded drunk. Scully downed her wine glass, signaling to the bartender for another. She was suddenly very thankful for the open bar.

"Don't let me stop you." She gave him a tight-lipped, fake smile. He could see the hurt and fury burning in her eyes. He needed to do something.

"I'll be right there, Angela." She didn't like being excused so easily, cuddling up to him more as Scully seethed, crossing her arms with her new wine glass in hand. "Please."

"Fine." She left with a huff, knowing he didn't really want to be there with her.

"Scully."

"I'm sorry I interrupted your date." She knew she was overreacting, but with everything that had happened, the emotions were raw. He followed her back towards her table, pleading with her to stop and listen.

"I'm sorry."

"You seem to be sorry a lot." She turned, startling him as he nearly ran into her. She was small, but definitely should not be messed with. "I just thought that you'd be a little more professional while on a case."

He panicked, he couldn't explain to her his entire method to his madness with only a few seconds of explanation that she would allow. His shoulders slumped in defeat, the announcements being made on stage for people to please find their seats. "I'm sorry."

It was all he could say, desperately wanting to grab her by her shoulders and knock some sense into her. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, and tell her that she definitely had nothing to worry about and that he was just doing his job.

The speeches dragged on, Mulder glancing every so often towards Scully once he figured out where she was sitting. Josh was beside her, her mother on her other side and her father beside her mother. He was thankful that his state of mind wasn't completely obscured by her presence that he followed her back to her table. Her parents definitely would have blown his cover unknowingly. He shrugged his shoulder, trying to keep Angela's advances at bay. She was constantly rubbing up against him in the pretext of having another mindless comment about the speakers.

A movement caught his eye, seeing Scully excuse herself to the restroom. He practically jolted out of his seat, making his way to follow her and ignoring the glares from his date. He had to slow his stride as he heard her on the phone in the hallway, trying not to eavesdrop, but not really having anywhere else to go if he wanted to talk to her.

"Now? I'm not on call tonight." She sighed, listening to the other end of her conversation. "I can be there in maybe an hour." Hanging up with a huff, she turned to see Mulder standing off the side, sheepishly digging his toes into the carpet.

"I just wanted to talk to you." He mumbled, afraid to look up and see her expression. He was anticipating anger, maybe a little jealousy if he was hopeful enough. The intrigue in her eyes was something he was not expecting. He could work with that. "Look, it's not what it looks like, with Angela."

"Mulder, I don't care what you do in your free time, I just thought -"

"I'm still working, actually." He could hear someone coming around the corner, looking around quickly for somewhere to go. He grabbed her hand, pulling her into a narrow, dark space on the other side of the restrooms. Before she could ask what the hell he thought he was doing, he placed his index finger against her lips to signal for her to remain quiet.

They were a tight fit in the small hallway space, he could feel her breathing as her chest rose and fell in cadence against his. Her breath was on his hand as he kept his finger in contact with her lips, and tried desperately not to look down at the cleavage that was so prominently there. He peeked his head around the corner to see Angela standing there as if she were waiting for him. Mentally chastising himself, he wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this one. He couldn't keep Scully here forever, as much as he wanted to in this position.

"What the hell took you so long?" Angela's voice seethed as her guest met her. Mulder's intuition was on high alert as he listened in to their conversation.

"I've been breaking a story, but not on Matheson. We've got better intel on Smith, so we're running the story on him instead."

"You promised me the front column, this was supposed to be my break!" Angela was clearly agitated, whatever was happening was not in her favor.

"You've been giving us basic information, at best. Look, we just went in a different direction. If you still want a job, you've got it, but you're not getting the cover story." The man walked away with the shrug of his shoulders, leaving Angela standing there in shock. She finally stalked off back to the table, forgetting that Mulder even existed, at least he hoped.

"You might just be my good luck charm." He whispered, smiling down at her. His hand lingered on her cheek, gently grazing his fingers along her soft skin.

"Mind filling me in on what the hell is going on?" Her heart was racing, she could barely choke out the words. Damn him for having this effect on her.

"I think I just cracked my case." He grinned at her, not moving from their close confinements.

"I need to get back to my seat." She finally regained composure, pushing herself away from him as much as she could. When he didn't object, she exited the small hallway that they shoved themselves in, leaving him standing there with his thoughts. It was not a safe place to be.

"Scully, wait." It took him a few seconds to sulk and remember that he messed this up in the first place. "I need to explain."

"No, you don't. I can't do this right now. I need to be at the hospital, they need the assistance." She watched as his face fell, the mixed emotions surging through her. She was still trying to shake the feel of her body pressed against his. "I'll call you later? We'll talk."

"Really?" He looked like a kid in a candy store and she wanted to laugh. She had just given him a golden ticket, and the thought that he was that excited to talk to her made her heart leap.

"I promise." She smiled at him, before turning to return to her seat. She sighed, her shoulders sagging as another thought jumped in her mind. "I'm going to miss my Father's recognition."

"He's being honored tonight?" Mulder had moved closer to her, cautiously resting a hand on her shoulder. He was wary of how welcome his touch would be, but when she leaned slightly into him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, but it's okay." She shrugged, stepping away from him. Her head turned slightly to face him. "Thank you."

Once Mulder made it back to his seat, he was relieved to find that Angela had left with the excuse of not feeling well. He imagined she was trying to salvage her career before they both went up in flames. Getting a moment alone with Matheson was a little trickier, considering he was the man of the hour, hosting the event.

Scully stood to leave, he could see the apology to her parents being given from where he sat, a pang of jealousy as Josh escorted her out. He told himself that they were just friends, but the image in his mind didn't help his reassurances. He was just glad this stupid case was over.

As he watched her disappear from his vision, another thought popped into his mind. He knew he had a big apology to make, he was hoping this would help pave the way. Mulder was friendly with the videography crew of the evening, asking if they could record her father's recognition. They didn't budge until he pulled out a few bills, a price he would willingly pay double the amount. The results would hopefully be worth it.

"Evening, Gentlemen." Mulder interrupted a small group in which Matheson was chatting with. He was going to speak with him after the speeches, but Scully's father was one of the men he was conversing with, and this case wasn't officially over. "Mind if I steal the good Senator?"

"What's going on, any insight?" Matheson kept his voice low, smiling at any onlookers.

"I believe your rat is Angela. I overheard her talking with some guy about being promised a front page article. I think her cover for being here was just to collect intel, and write a story to get her big break." Mulder explained.

"Angela, the secretary? She seemed harmless."

"Sometimes it's the ones you least expect."

"Well, I guess that's that then. I'll interview some people in the office tomorrow, see if they had any idea. Do you know the man she was speaking with?"

"No, but my guess is that he works for a paper. I can do some research and see if he pops up anywhere."

"I'd appreciate it." Matheson smiled and waved as someone acknowledged him. "I guess your work here is done. I appreciate the favor, Mulder."

"It was my pleasure, Sir. I'll keep doing some investigating once I get back to the office, let you know what I figure out." Mulder shook the man's hand, both nodding their pleasantries.

He made his way to find the video crew, retrieving his tape for Scully, and starting on his apology mission. He didn't want to waste any time getting to the hospital, even knowing she was no doubt busy, otherwise they wouldn't have called her in. His plan was to show up, hand her the tape with another 'I'm sorry' for good measure, and hope for the best.

When he arrived, there was definitely commotion surrounding him, people buzzing by with patients and gurneys. Nurses were running to and from every which direction. He thought about the last time he was here, and how disastrous that was. He was going to see her, in person, no matter what.

He snuck by the busy nurses to her small office, plopping down in her chair and waiting. Her dress hung on the back of her door, and he marveled at the images of her tightly fit in the gorgeous ensemble, that were now permanently engraved in his mind. He found trinkets on her desk to play with, things to rummage through in her drawers. He never was good at sitting still.

"How'd you manage to sneak by the nurses?" A voice caused him to startle, fumbling in a flustered state.

"Uh -" He was now very concerned that he had the wrong office.

"I'm Terri, I work with Dr. Scully." She held out her hand which Mulder took to greet this woman. "You were a patient here, right?" She recognized him sitting there through the slightly ajar door. She figured she could get some answers to the questions that Dana came storming in with.

"Yes, but I had a really good doctor." He smirked, causing Terri to chuckle and nod in agreeance.

"Speaking of the good doctor, is this a personal visit, or a follow up?" She pried, and Mulder had to smile.

"This would be a personal visit, I'm just hoping she doesn't throw me out."

"I think you've got some good chances." Terri said with a secretive smile. "Especially since you're still in that suit."

Dana had stormed in, clearly annoyed to be there on her day off, but that wasn't her biggest nuisance. Terri was changing into fresh scrubs just as Dana came in to grab a pair for herself. She huffed and slammed things before groaning and laying her head against the wall. Terri asked if she wanted to talk about it, to which Dana ranted about how confusing this man was, and how she couldn't think clearly when they were pressed together, and how he looked damn good in a suit. She went on to say that she overreacted and was jealous to see a woman hanging all over him, but she would never admit that to him. Terri knew instantly that her friend had fallen for this man, and though he screwed up, she couldn't get him off her mind.

"Oh yeah? Any secrets or advice you'd like to share?" Mulder leaned forward conspiratorially, hoping for any piece of wisdom.

"Not a chance, but I think you'll do fine on your own."

"You clearly don't know me very well." He mumbled, losing hope in his abilities. Terri laughed, making her way back out the door.

"I've heard enough."

Mulder's head popped up with a goofy lopsided grin on his face, wanting her to elaborate more on what that meant. Before he had a moment to process anything, he heard voices just down the hall. He could make them both out, suddenly feeling embarrassed when Terri said something about 'man candy' in her office.

"I don't remember having an appointment." Scully was breathless as she rushed in, already exhausted from the few patients she had. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, small pieces of hair escaping to frame her face. Her face was scrubbed clean of the light makeup she had on earlier, and her scrubs were definitely a contrast to the gown she had on at the fundraiser. She still looked amazing to him.

"I was hoping this would help with the grovelling I plan to do later." He stood and handed her the tape, causing her brow to furrow with the question. "I had them record your dad being honored. I didn't want you to miss it." He shrugged as if it were nothing. She didn't say anything, just clutching the tape tighter in her hands. When she finally looked up, she had unshed tears in her eyes. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.

"Mulder, thank you." She stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He held her closer to him, wrapping his whole self around her. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of his cologne. He pressed his lips against the crown of her head in a soft kiss, desperately wishing to do more. "I'm sorry I got mad earlier, I should have let you explain."

"Don't worry about it, Scully."

"I had no right to be angry about anything."

"It seems there are some misconceptions with my intentions here." She looked up at him, still wrapped in his arms. She licked her lips in anticipation, and that was all it took for him to lean down and press his mouth softly to hers.

The kiss was tentative at first, just testing the boundaries. When she sighed into his touch, leaning her whole body into him, he deepened the embrace, probing her mouth with his tongue. He was met with a small flicker against his own, not able to hold back the passion he felt for this woman.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while." He smiled when they finally pulled apart for air. Color rose on her cheeks and she suppressed an almost embarrassed smile. "Especially since I saw you in that dress." He wagged his eyebrows at her, causing her to huff a small chuckle and slap his chest playfully.

"You're not so bad in this tux either." She grabbed onto his lapels, bringing him closer to her again. He kissed her again, chastely this time. It was his new favorite thing to do.

"Does this mean my apology has been accepted." He leered, causing her to roll her eyes.

"No. You still have some work to do, mister." He pouted, causing her to push him away and not look at him, otherwise she wouldn't have resisted. "And so do I." She sighed. "I probably won't be done for another few hours."

"I have some work to do to wrap things up with this case as well. I just really wanted to see you and give you the tape."

"I'm glad you did." She smiled at him as she pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "So does this mean you're no longer undercover?"

"I am a free man." Her eyebrow rose and he had to laugh. He kissed her one last time before leaving her to work.

He made his way down the corridors of the hospital, a smile on her face. He never remembered feeling this content and happy in his life. There were some things that they would need to sort out, but he felt confident in their ability to do so now that there was no question about how they felt.

When he reached the emergency room entrance, people were still bustling around as an ambulance pulled up to the front. It was definitely a busy night. He stood off the the side to stay out of the way until they wheeled the gurney with a man unconscious by him and looked up to see a familiar, frantic woman following close behind.

"Mrs. Scully?"


	5. Chapter 5

Maggie Scully blocked out the indistinct hum around her as she followed her husband's gurney through the emergency room. When they reached the doors of the operating rooms, a nurse calmly asked they she wait until they had an answer for her. Mulder walked towards her, not wanting to startle her clearly distressed mind.

"Mrs. Scully?" He asked again, keeping a calm tone of his voice. She turned to see where the sound was coming from, a look of unrecognition on her face. "I don't know if you remember me, I'm Fox Mulder, I was working on the case with -"

"Fox." She nodded, causing him to smile comfortingly at her. She had refused to call him anything else when she invited him in for breakfast during the Daniel debacle. "I need to find Dana." She began to frantically search around, as if her daughter would just appear. He laid a gentle hand on her arm for reassurance.

"I'll find her, maybe you should take a seat in the waiting room. I think the nurses will need to talk to you." She nodded again, agreeing to accept his help. He had enough experience with emergency rooms to know that they would need as much personal information for admittance.

He made his way back down the hallway, not knowing what he was going to say. They had just established something in their relationship, but this was definitely a whole different ball game. Mulder slowed as he reached her office, seeing the door nearly closed with her sitting at her desk working on a report.

"Scully?" He knocked to signal his arrival, trying to remain as calm as possible. She looked up with a smile on her face, it quickly diminishing when she noticed the pained look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" The pang of worry began building in her stomach. Had he changed his mind about whatever they just developed? He clearly hadn't even left the hospital yet.

"Your father was just brought in, I don't know why, but your mother is in the waiting room." He said calmly, waiting for her reaction. She just stared at him with wide eyes, unable to move.

He walked over to her, crouching beside her seat and rested his hand on top of hers. She still didn't react, barely recognizing his touch. He reached out to lift her chin and turn it towards him, seeing the tears brimming her eyes.

In one swift movement, she broke down, practically falling into his lap as he adjusted himself to sit on the floor and gather her in his arms. She sobbed into his neck as he tenderly rocked her and comforted the best way he knew how.

Dana Scully didn't cry and crumble like this, she was embarrassed but that didn't matter. She pulled from his strength, just as she had done the first night that they met. He alleviated her anguish then, too. The tears subsided just as quickly as they came, causing her to lean back from him. He placed a small kiss on her forehead, a sigh escaping her lips at the contact.

She had never had this kind of connection before, the need and dependency was alarming to her. Even married, there was always a sense of independence that she maintained when it came to her emotional boundaries. Daniel had never even seen her cry. Sure, he had seen her angry and frustrated, happy at times, and even to her dismay now, aroused. Mulder was the only person that she allowed inside that wall that she had built so strongly over the years, and that frightened her more than she could explain.

"I need to find my mother." He simply nodded, standing and offering her a helping hand.

"Let me take you."

"I can find her, thank you." Her voice was a whisper, though her words adamant. He was confused, following her emotions was like being on rollercoaster. He never knew which version of her he was going to get, always keeping him guessing. Though this time terrified him as he watched her go within herself, pulling away from him.

"Scully -"

"I'll call you later, Mulder." She walked past him swiftly, avoiding his gaze.

As she left Mulder standing in her office, there was a deep pain inside her. This was the only man who has ever seen her at her most vulnerable, and that idea was something she wasn't ready to face. He never judged her, though she felt often foolish by the amount of tears she has shed in front of him. His strength and the memory of him was what gave her the courage to pack her things and move back to D.C. She felt herself completely captivated by his every essence, and that was an alarming realization for her. Even as controlling and demanding as Daniel was, she had never completely lost herself in him.

She found her mother sitting in the waiting room, her hand shaking as she filled out the forms for her father. Before approaching her, she stopped at the nurses station to get as much information as possible. Heart attack, the words haunting her. They assured her they would update her as soon as they knew anything. She scoffed, the standard wording to say to distressed loved ones.

"Mom?" Suddenly, she was a scared little girl who just needed her mother to make all the bad things go away. Maggie looked up at her daughter, fresh tears in her eyes as they embraced.

"Oh honey. I don't know what happened." Her mother's voice shook, choking back her tears. "We were waiting for the car, and he just collapsed."

"They said it was a heart attack. He has a good surgeon working on him." Scully nodded against her mother's shoulder for reassurance. "Was Josh still with you?"

"No, he left just before."

"I'll call him, and I should call Bill, Melissa and Charlie, too." Her mother had no words, none of it seemed real. She could tell that the busy tasks that her daughter was taking on were more so for herself than anything. She needed some semblance of control over the situation.

"Where's Fox?" The question startled Scully as she pulled back from her mother in almost a jerking motion. He was too close.

"What?"

"He said he was going to find you. Did he not bring you here?"

"No, I mean - yes, he found me but I told him I'd call him later." She dismissed her mother's disapproving look as she walked outside to make her calls.

When she returned, she stopped walking, seeing Mulder sitting beside her mother. She had taken one of his hands into both of hers, and he was smiling at her warmly. The scene clutched at her heart, but it also caused her to question what had happened between them. They had barely even kissed for the first time, and here he was, being a support system for her family in their time of need. Her shoulders slumped as she let out a heavy sigh. He had always been that for her, since the beginning, before she even knew what was happening.

When he noticed her standing beside them, he practically jumped out of his seat with a guilty expression on his face. Her mother turned to see her daughter there, wondering what was happening between these two. He was so kind and tender with her emotions as he offered her a moment of sincere comfort.

"I - uh, was leaving, and just wanted to say bye." He stammered, feeling childish with his excuse. "It was nice seeing you again Mrs. Scully." Mulder smiled at her as she returned the gesture.

"Mulder -"

"Goodbye, Scully." He walked past her, ignoring the pleading look in her eyes for him to understand. He did understand, she needed time to process this, and wasn't able to do that with him here. Mulder paused to brush a small kiss to the side of her temple before leaving. The small contact nearly took her breath away as new tears filled her eyes.

* * *

"The doctor said he should be waking up soon." Her mother's voice was hopeful. Captain Scully had pulled through surgery, expected to make a full recovery, but ordered to take it easy. Bill had flown in, Melissa and Charlie asking to be kept in the loop as they made their way there as soon as they could.

"Dr. Ramirez is very good, I trust his home care instructions as well." Scully was reading over the charts, keeping her mind busy. It had only been a few short days, but she thought she would have heard from Mulder by now. He was never good with boundaries, she had hoped this wasn't an exception.

"You should go home, Dana. You've been here all night." Maggie scolded, a gentle tone to her voice. She knew something was adrift, but didn't want to pry. Pushing Dana to do anything before she wanted was a fight waiting to happen. "Have you heard from Josh?"

"He said he would try to stop by this evening after he picks up Jamie from daycare." She nodded absentmindedly.

"And Fox?"

"No." She mumbled, turning away from her mother's prying eyes. "I imagine he's been busy with work." She suddenly found the brochures in the room fascinating.

"Dana -"

"Mom, I don't want to talk about this right now, okay?" She asked exasperatedly. Maggie simply turned her attention back to her husband, abiding by her daughter's wishes, for now. When Fox approached her before he left that first evening, he was so caring. She could instantly see that whatever connection this man and her daughter had between them had blossomed into something more. She couldn't understand why he wasn't by their side every step of the way. 'If you need anything, please feel free to call.' He had told her.

Once Bill returned with lunch, they ate in silence. Scully excused herself to go back to the house and at least shower and change. She could do that all at the hospital, as she had been accustomed to the last few months, but she needed the separation. As she was making her way to her car she noticed a familiar dark colored sedan parked just a few spots away in the perfect position to keep an eye on her. A small smile appeared on her lips as she approached, thankful that he hadn't taken her distance at face value.

He looked adorable, slumped in his car in a fresh suit. She assumed that he had come from work, but he looked so tired. Not wanting to wake him, but needing to talk to him, she went around to the passenger side to find that it was unlocked. Her eyes rolled, some FBI agent he was. Her hand brushed back the hair that flopped over his forehead causing him to startle awake.

"Wha -"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She smiled sheepishly, hoping that he could read her silent apology.

"It's okay." He smiled, happy to see her here. His face went sober once he realized where he was. "I - uh"

"I'm glad you're here." She knew he was going to make up some excuse for hovering, which she was beginning to not mind. The overbearing worry from him was endearing, and not as suffocating as she had feared.

"I never really went too far." He admitted, looking down at his hands. She placed her hand over his, intertwining their fingers together.

"I'm sorry for being so dismissive. I just, I didn't know how to handle everything."

"It's okay, Scully." He kissed the back of her fingers. "How's your dad?"

"Recovering. I'm going to have to make sure he sticks to his homecare, but he should be good as new."

"Well, from personal experience, I can attest that your homecare works wonders." He leered and leaned towards her, a coy smile appearing on her lips.

She met him halfway, their lips gliding against each other. He was surprised when he felt a small flicker of her tongue teasing at his bottom lip. She was rather subdued when it came to making the advances, but he appreciated her being the aggressor. He had to smile against her lips, she wanted this just as much as him.

He pulled back first, resting his forehead against hers. He couldn't classify what they were if anyone asked, but he was happy with whatever they were currently doing. There was a hesitation radiating from her, and he wanted to take it slow so he could guarantee that he wouldn't screw this one up.

"Do you have to go back to work?" Her head was now rested against his shoulder as she snuggled up against him and closed her eyes.

"I told them I had a doctor's appointment that would take up the rest of my day." He could feel the chuckle escape her lips as his arm shook from her laughter. "Have you slept at all?"

"No. I was kicked out and told to go home." She mumbled as she started to drift off against him. He smiled, the small ounce of solace coming from the fact that she was comfortable enough to do so. Reaching over to grab the seat belt, he buckled her in and kissed the top of her head. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she made herself snug in the car the best she could.

Mulder drove to her parents' house, not wanting to wake her. She looked so peaceful, and beautiful.

"Scully." His hand was stroking her arm gently, attempting to rouse her. She moaned a protest and turned away from him. "You'll be more comfortable inside."

"Where are we?" Her eyes fluttered open as she realized they were in the driveway of her house. "You didn't have to drive me home."

"It's okay, your family is right, you need rest." She pouted, mumbling something unintelligible as he led her inside.

Scully plopped on her bed once she made it up the stairs, with Mulder's assistance. She was half awake, and he thought she was adorably stubborn by insisting that she didn't need help or sleep. Once she was cozy in her bed, he began to leave to let her rest.

"Mulder."

"Yeah?"

"You need sleep, too. Doctor's orders." She nodded against her pillow as she patted the empty space of the bed next to her. He smiled, toeing off his shoes before he laid next to her on top of the covers. She gravitated towards his warmth, resting her head in her new favorite spot against his shoulder in the crook of his neck.

Mulder laid beside her, surrounded in everything that was Scully. Her scent was now permanently engraved into his senses, and he never wanted to let it go. Thinking about what this could become would only cause worry for him. He was never known to maintain healthy relationships, and losing her would be his undoing. The moment he met her inside his fake cab, he was captivated. His mind wandered to the soundtrack of her deep breaths, pulling him into his own slumber.

"Dana?" A voice made its way up the stairs towards her room. Scully groaned in protest to the incessant, sing-songy sound. Her head was buried in a warmth that caused her to startle awake. Mulder. He was here, in her bed with her. The sleepiness in her mind began to fade as the recollection of the day's events began to reemerge. She had invited him to do something as simple as nap with her, and it was one of the most intimate things she's ever experienced. She was so at peace, content enough to rest despite everything else going on. A smile appeared on her lips as the realization dawned that he still wanted to give her space, and slept on top of the blankets. The sound of her door opening broke her from her reverie, her eyes widening as she suddenly felt like an awkward teenager with a boy in her room.

"Dana, I tried calling your cell before I came ove-" Her sister, Melissa stood before her with a spreading smile on her face. "Well, now I understand."

"Missy, I thought you said you couldn't make it until the end of the week." Scully whispered, a hiss of an undertone to her words. She pulled the blankets up over her chest in a moment of unnecessary modesty. Nothing happened between them, and yet, everything had happened.

"I had a change of plans. I'm glad I could be here to see this though." Missy had a mischievous look in her eyes as she crept closer. "He's cute."

"Could you please leave? I'll be down in a minute." Scully practically begging her sister, pleading with her. She shrugged her shoulders with a roll of her eyes, sauntering out of the room with a pleased look on her face. Scully threw herself back against the pillows, groaning. She didn't want to deal with these questions right now, she had successfully evaded her mother already.

He looked so peaceful, resting next to her. There was a small ounce of guilt twisting in her stomach to subject him to meeting Melissa. Biting her lip, she gently nudged his shoulder. "Mulder."

"Mm?" She wasn't sure if he was just answering reflexively, but she needed him to be awake enough for her to warn him. Scully leaned closer, placing a small kiss on his cheek, causing him to smile. "That's a much better wake up technique." She huffed a chuckle before he turned, blindly finding her lips with his own, as if he did it instinctively. She relaxed into his touch, deepening the kiss as she leaned into him more. The barrier of blankets between them was causing a boundary, but they both supposed that was best for now.

"You're right, that is a much better way to wake up." She smiled, her eyes fluttering open to meet his sleepy gaze. "I have to go downstairs, my sister's here."

"Do you want me to sneak out the bedroom window?" He teased, the smirk fading as he watched the contemplation in her eyes.

"No, I want you to meet her. I must warn you though, she's very aggressive when it comes to interrogating people."

"Am I under questioning?"

"Possibly." Scully smiled behind her back as she stood from the bed, making her way to the door. He quickly followed, not wanting to walk into whatever he was about to face alone.

She paused halfway down the stairs, seeing another familiar face sitting and talking with her sister on the couches in the living room. Turning behind her, a silent apology flashed across her face and Mulder didn't understand what she was saying until he saw what she saw. Josh was sitting there, with Jamie, waiting for Dana's visit.

"How lovely of you to finally join us." Missy mocked, noticing her sister standing there with the handsome stranger. Josh had a confused look on his face as he recognized Mulder. This was a lot more complicated than she had ever anticipated.

"I needed the rest." Scully responded pointedly. She sat on the larger couch, Mulder beside her as Missy sat on the other side of her sister. Josh and Jamie sat in a smaller loveseat to the side. The room settled in an uncomfortable silence. "Have either of you been by the hospital yet?" She hoped keeping the conversation going would avoid the inevitable introduction.

"We've met before, haven't we?" Josh broke the silence, no such luck. Scully let out a heavy sigh, turning to Mulder as she silently asked if he wanted to explain, or if she should. He simply nodded his acknowledgement. He would tell the story.

"We have, but we weren't properly introduced." Mulder cleared his throat. "I was working undercover at the party when I ran into you both. I'm Fox Mulder, I'm a special agent with the FBI." He nodded his greeting, hoping that would suffice for Scully's sister who was eyeing him as if she were reading a book. He knew that look well, it's how he looked at suspects.

"I see. Well it's nice to meet you." Josh said as he settled a wiggling Jamie further in his lap. "I just wanted to stop by and see how everything was going, but I should get this one home." Scully prepared to walk him out, her hand resting on Mulder's knee as she stood. She squeezed slightly to let him know she would be right back. Jealousy was never anything he could get under control, but her small gesture gave him all the reassurance he needed.

"So how long have you been dating my sister?" The question barely escaped Melissa's lips as the door clicked shut behind Scully. Mulder choked on air, having no idea how much information Scully wanted to divulge to her family about them. He didn't know how to classify them himself.

"We, uh, it's still new."

"I gathered." Melissa responded, that specific look still in her eyes. Without another word, she got up and made her way to the kitchen. He sat there, unknowing what the hell was happening and how he ended up in this situation. A glimpse of red hair appeared in his peripheral through the front window and he smiled as he remembered why he was here.

"Sorry." She mumbled as she made her way back inside. Scully looked around, noticing her sister had disappeared.

"Everything okay?" There was a small ounce of guilt bestowed on her face as she sat beside him, sitting a little closer this time.

"Yes, he made the assumption that you were more than a friend."

"And how did you respond to that?"

"How did you respond when my sister asked you the same thing?" Her eyebrow quirked as her lips slowly turned up in a smile. She knew Missy better than anyone.

"I didn't know what you wanted me to tell her." He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. Scully let the wordless question pass through her mind. On one hand, it was nice to have her family in her life again, the distance seeming longer than the few years that was the reality. On the other, she was the most private of her family, focusing on her career and education rather than her personal relationships. When Daniel came along unexpectedly, she was instantly enthralled by his intelligence. The fact that he was fascinatedly taken with her was something that blindsided her guards, breaking down her barriers. Now that she reflected on her marriage, she knew that it was built on mental compatibility and intrigue, rather than that spiritual connection that Melissa always lectured her about. It was nonsense that she didn't believe in, until she met Mulder. There was something about him that made her want to share the things in her life with him, that made her want to willingly break down the walls she had so strongly built.

"Well, my mother seems to have taken a strong liking to you, so I suppose you already have her vote." She teased, keeping her mind light in the midst of her deep thoughts.

"I like him, too." Melissa said offhandedly as she passed the back of the couch, making her way upstairs. Scully huffed a disbelieving chuckle, shaking her head.

"How'd you manage to charm her?"

"I must just have a way with the Scully women." He wagged his eyebrows at her, causing her to chuckle and grin. Before her rebuttal, the cell in his pocket began ringing. He looked around as if he forgot it existed.

"Mulder." She went to the kitchen to call her mother and check up on everything at the hospital. Her mother was happy to hear that she had gotten some rest, and that Melissa was able to make it in earlier. Scully informed her mother that they would make it back with dinner soon. "I have to go."

"Oh, did something come up?" She turned to see him standing in the doorway of the kitchen, clothes still rumpled from their nap.

"There's a case, and I've been called in." He let out a heavy sigh, his arms dropping to his side in a heavy exhaustion. He already hated this case, a woman raped and murdered, the connection to others just being made. Serial killers were not the minds he needed to bury himself in while trying to maintain whatever this was with Scully.

"It's okay, I understand." She stepped forward, resting a gentle hand on his chest. A simple touch calming his entire demeanor. Maybe she could keep the demons at bay. Without much conscious thought, being hypnotized by her tender fingers dancing along his arms and chest, he leaned down and kissed her. She smiled against his lips, loving this new thing between them.

"Thank you." His forehead rested on hers, feeling her sweet breath on his mouth as she huffed a small chuckle.

"For what?"

"For being you." With another kiss, he made his way upstairs to collect his things. He departed with another embrace in the entryway of the house, feeling a loss the minute he stepped away.

* * *

When Mulder walked into the conference room, Reggie had a grim expression bestowed on his face. He knew this wasn't going to be good. Patterson was already on some tirade about the connections between murders not being made sooner. His anger was then completely placed towards Mulder.

"You should have known we were dealing with a serial killer!"

"I wasn't assigned to any of these cases, Sir." His voice was tight as he tried to regain the control that he was slowly losing. He only had a few seconds to glance at the case files sprawled out over the table to come to his own defense.

"Well congratulations, this one's yours. It's the third victim, we need him caught. Now." Patterson stalked into his office, slamming the door behind him. Mulder had seen his SAIC's name all over the files, meaning he was the one who dropped the ball. Not that he would ever admit that.

Plopping down into one of the chairs, he picked up a random file and began to familiarize himself with the details. Profiling was his forte, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. The images that stared back at him causing to hate this guy already. Bodies were mutilated, in the comfort of their own beds. Unmarried women, all in their 20s to 30s, living alone. Career women: a nurse, a paralegal, and now a business executive. Their cold, dead eyes burned through his soul as he read over the autopsy reports. They were not only raped, but then the bastard had the audacity to gut them, and chop off their breasts. He already hated this case.

"You want me to grab you some dinner?" Reggie's voice broke him from his reverie. He was so consumed by the files, he had no idea time had even passed.

"Is it already that late?"

"Later. Most other agents went home, but I didn't want to break your trance." Reggie knew how Mulder worked, so he let him be, and instructed that no one else disturb him either. It's how he worked, lost in his own mind. Locked inside the mind of the suspect.

"I should go home, too. There's not much more I'm going to get from this without going to the crime scene."

"We'll head over first thing tomorrow." Mulder nodded, gathering the files and taking them home. He had a profile, he just didn't like it. Whoever this man was, absolutely hated women, despised their very existence. That's not the person he wanted to lose himself in.

"Mulder." He fumbled to answer his phone and throw his belongings into the passenger seat of his car. An expletive slipping through his lips as the phone fell from the light cradle between his ear and his shoulder. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Are you okay?" Just her voice was enough to give him the deep breath of fresh air he had needed since he walked into that meeting.

"Yeah, sorry. I just dropped my phone trying to get in the car."

"You're still at work?"

"Just leaving." He let out a heavy sigh, his mood was passive, at best. He felt a million times better just talking to her, but nothing could fully erase where his attention had been for the last few hours. "Can you come over? I can pick you up." He didn't know what possessed him to ask her such a thing, he knew how it sounded. He just needed to see her, hold her.

"I can meet you at your apartment. I'm just leaving the hospital myself." Oh, right. He felt like a selfish ass for not immediately thinking about what was going on in her life.

"How is your dad?"

"Doing good. He's tired, so he sleeps most of the time, but he's been awake enough to know we've been there." She sounded pleased and he smiled. Maybe this case would be different, with her by his side.

"Good, I'm glad."

"I'll see you soon." His smile grew at the sound of that.

He hit unexpected traffic, cursing to alleviate some of the day building tension. His mind was focused on seeing Scully, it's the only thing that was keeping him sane at the moment. When he pulled up to his apartment building, his mind was so clouded that he didn't notice her car already parked along the street. The warm smile that greeted him upon entry made his heart leap.

"I hope you don't mind, I let myself in."

"No, I'm glad." He smiled back at her, feeling the rest of the tension leave his body. "I was going to order takeout if you're hungry."

"I could eat."

They settled in a comfortable silence, mindlessly watching TV as they waited for the food to arrive. He had asked more about her father's recovery, anything to keep his mind off work. She was helping him in more ways than she could ever know.

"Did you have a tough day at work?" She was hesitant to ask, but she knew his request to see her wasn't just from the longing in his heart. They healed each other in ways neither would ever be able to comprehend or explain.

"That's one way to put it." He scoffed, leaning his head on the back of the couch. "I just hate these cases. I hate having to profile these sick bastards."

"Why do you put yourself through it?"

"Because I'm the best." It was a mocking tone, the bitterness in his words amplified by the look in his eyes.

"It seems to be a tough price to pay." Her words were sympathetic, the eagerness to take his pain away apparent by the compassionate expression on her face.

His emotions were raw, letting her ease the mind suffering agony that he was subjecting himself to. When their lips met, it was like her touch erased the thoughts in his mind, leaving him with only impressions of her. He lost himself in her, allowing her to take the darkness of his mind and steering him towards the light. He was falling in love with her.

"I'm sorry, that you have to go through this." A whispered notion that she meant wholeheartedly.

"You being here is making it better."

"Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance." She smiled at him as she settled back towards her end of the couch. The last word triggered something in his mind. He had his own, brilliant, pathologist sitting right here.

"Maybe you can." His words said mysteriously as he stood and started pacing. Did he want to subject her to this? It's what she studied, what she trained for. He needed her. "Would you do the autopsy of the last victim?"

"Oh, sure. You don't have a pathologist assigned?"

"We do, but I trust you. I want it done right." There was something arousing to the way he made her feel respected. She had never had that with Daniel, and she reveled in the moment. She couldn't refuse.

The next morning, she showed up at the bureau dressed in her best pantsuit. Mulder wanted to wrap his arms around her trim waist that was obvious in the tight, knee length skirt and fitted jacket. Attempting to be the utmost professional agent, he extended his hand and thanked her for her assistance. Reggie watched this play out, rolling his eyes at their faked nonchalance about their relationship.

"This is Dr. Scully, she'll be performing the autopsy on the third victim." Mulder introduced her to the team before escorting her down to the morgue. "You look nice today. You should definitely consider joining the bureau if I get to see you like that all day."

"You saying you don't like my scrubs?" She glared playfully, causing his grin to grow.

"Never." He teased, opening the door for her. The chivalry was something she always admired.

Mulder broke down as much of his profile as he thought she could handle. The body spoke for itself, mutilated and mangled as it lay cold on the table. He watched her take a deep breath, mentally preparing for whatever she was about to discover. With her help, he could hopefully have a complete profile by the end of the day.

Scully took her time, not wanting to disappoint Mulder. She looked through every crevice of the body, every cavity that wasn't hacked into pieces already. How could someone be this cruel? She knew there were serial killers out there, but becoming well acquainted with the handiwork of one firsthand was a different game. Hell, she lived with one unknowingly, and it didn't feel this gruesome. She had to remain as detached as she did then.

The recorder was on as she recited her notes. "Female, mid thirties, brown hair, green eyes. Cause of death was blood loss, meaning she was conscious for the brutality happening to her." Deep breath. "Ligature marks on the wrists and ankles indicate that she was bound. Both breasts were removed with a rusty, jagged object. The lines are not clean, and the area was cut multiple times. The object was small, making imprecise abrasions. Perhaps a pocket knife, or hunter's knife. The lacerations to the lower stomach and pelvic area were made with more force. The repetition is that of someone carving an animal. Entire genital area is indistinct. There are signs that could indicate sexual trauma, though not enough evidence to make an accurate conclusion." She clicked the recorder off.

Dana Scully was no stranger to autopsies, but the body that was a victim of a serial killer, told an entirely different story. She was being thorough, she wanted to do this right. Mulder believed in her, and she wasn't going to miss one detail. The sooner she could provide him with accurate information, the sooner he was hopefully back to himself again. There was a distance in his eyes, one that she had yet to discover.

Several hours later, nerves on edge, she strode into the conference room, seeing the agents bustling around. Mulder sensed her immediately, meeting her at the door with hope in his eyes. "You finished?"

"I did. I'm hoping my report helps." She handed him the file with a nervous smile. He could sense her need to impress him and immediately felt guilty. He put too much pressure on her to make this perfect.

"I'm sure it'll give me just what I need to finish my profile." His hand brushed her arm lightly, not wanting to make a spectacle for any onlookers. There were plenty, considering someone was actually smiling in the direction of Spooky Mulder. "Can I interest you in another exciting night of bad TV and takeout?" He leaned in, his words barely loud enough for her to hear.

"No." Her lips pursed to suppress the smirk on her face. She almost lost it when his face became panicked. "I will cook you dinner. I'm going to head over to check on my dad first, then I'll be at your place with something edible."

He visibly relaxed, glaring at her for the game she was playing. There was a sense of contentment that he couldn't ever remember feeling, thinking of her waiting for him at home. "Sounds perfect. Don't change from the suit." He winked at her, causing an eye roll in response. She loved the attention.

After checking on her father, she made her way over to Mulder's, a grocery stop in between. She missed cooking for him like she had the opportunity to do while he was recovering. There was something that pulled her to him in a way that no other man had ever had the power to do. Instead of running away from their closeness and growing relationship, she found herself stumbling towards it.

As she began cooking for him, she thought about where their relationship was. How would she define it, how would he? Her sister knew there was more to what she was telling, but there was a doubt that he disclosed any ounce of information to anyone. Maybe Reggie knew. The uncertainty began to cloud her mind, she was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear him come home.

Fresh herbs and spices immediately hit his senses as he entered, his apartment only ever smelt this good when she was here. She stood in the kitchen, breaking off pieces of lettuce as she mindlessly tossed the salad. He was puzzled that she hadn't greeted him, now realizing her mind was elsewhere. He snuck up behind her, placing a kiss on the exposed skin of her neck, causing her to startle from his embrace.

"Jesus, Mulder. You scared me."

"Sorry, I thought you heard when I came in." He watched her take a few deep breaths, shoulders falling as she began to relax. "What smells so good?" He could tell something else was going on, but thought she would appreciate the change of subject. When she sighed, he knew he made the right choice, for now.

"Baked rosemary chicken and potatoes. I also have a salad." She smiled. "It's not pizza, but I think you'll live."

"I would take your cooking any day." He kissed her chastely on the lips in an official greeting. "I could get used to this." He left to change as she finished the dinner preparations.

The simple, offhanded comment was said under his breath, she's not even sure if she was supposed to hear it slip from his lips. Repeating over and over in her head, she needed to know if he was serious. Did he want more from whatever this is? What even was this? Another heavy sigh, she finished setting the table and attempting to shake her worries. The trepidation was still evident in her eyes, and that's all Mulder saw for the rest of the evening.

"What's wrong, Scully?" He was going insane. She barely touched her dinner, the dinner she insisted on making. Now, she was sitting apart from him on the couch, not cuddled into his side as she normally did when they spent time together. Something was on her mind, and she was more distracted than him on an active case.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know." She finally conceded.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"That's just it, you're the problem." He froze, he wasn't sure he was ready for this admission. He wanted to take it back, shut his mouth and sit there in an uncomfortable silence again. "I feel foolish."

"No, there's nothing that -"

"Mulder, what is this?"

"This?" It was the only response he had. This wasn't the conversation he was expecting. He realized now that maybe his intentions were a little subdued.

"Yes, this. You and me." She gestured exasperatedly between them. He was catching on, he just wasn't in the right mind to have this talk.

"I don't know, do we have to classify it?"

"No, I just -" She fidgeted with her hands, breaking their eye contact and pulling a leg up under her. She was removing herself, and he was letting her, nearly pushing her there. He let out a heavy sigh, he was being a jerk.

"What do you want it to be, Scully?"

"I'd like to at least say we're dating. My sister already suspects, but I've been avoiding my mother's questions because I didn't know what you wanted from this."

He leaned towards her, gently taking one of her tightly wound hands from the other, cradling it in his own. His thumb ran tender circles over the back of her hand, waiting for the rest of her to relax. She was mesmerized by the motion, gravitating towards him as she uncoiled her stiff position and leaned towards him as well.

His soothing motion stopped, waiting for her to meet his eyes. She was avoiding it, knowing that as soon as she did, there would be no turning back. Mulder was never good with his words unless he knew that there was no chance of rejection on the other end. He learned that lesson the hard way more times than he'd like to admit. The fact that she was responding to him was its own small victory. She was different, and he wanted to cherish that.

"I want to be whatever you're willing to take from me." His words held a heavier weight than intended. He wasn't perfect, by anyone's standards, and usually people chose to see past his spooky nature. Diana couldn't handle it, and they were married. She chose to only take the parts that she deemed would get her further in her career, leaving the odd ends behind.

"I want all of you." Her voice was just a whisper, now looking him dead in the eye. She understood his silent implications, read the fears in his words. He was falling in love with her, not that he wasn't there already. Now he was just ready to admit it.

Her hand held his face gently, seeing the questions and trepidations in his eyes. They hadn't made any moves towards one another, a few stolen kisses here and there. He didn't want to ruin this too soon, but as her other hand began running circular motions over his shoulder, down to his chest, he was losing his inhibitions with each small ministration.

His hand now rested on her hip, pulling her towards him as her body naturally gravitated to his warmth. He was nearly laying on top of her, realizing that she had pulled him there and reclined on the couch in her own will. He read her eyes again, no words needed between them as she silently told him that this was what she wanted. It was the most intimate thing he's ever experienced.

He didn't know who made the first move, it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that she was kissing him with passion, him meeting her motions with just as much reverence. Her hands were now under his shirt, her nails slightly scraping his warm skin. His hands were inching their way towards her breasts, a small whimper escaping from her throat as his thumb stroked the underside of her bra. She was losing control with every touch, thinking his theories that he spewed about spontaneous human combustion on this very couch were completely valid at the moment. No man had ever touched her so longingly and tenderly before. She's had quick, in the heat of the moment sex, and rather boring, normal sex. She's even had her share of the occasional, messy hookup sex. But this, this was different. With every graze on her skin, she could feel the love and adoration pouring out of him. The way he looked at her before each kiss sent shivers through her entire body.

She squirmed out of his embrace, causing a moment of panic to settle on his face. She wanted to laugh, deciding to kiss him to diminish his fears as she held her hand out to him and stood from the couch. He caught on as she led him to the bedroom, knowing what was about to happen. He had known where the night was leading, but being on the couch gave her an out, gave her a chance to run. One final look in her eyes, and he knew she wasn't going anywhere.

Scully sat him on the side of the bed, kissing him as she stepped between his legs. In one motion, she discarded the top she was wearing, barely breaking their contact. His hands automatically found her breasts, the silky lace cool under his touch. She had begun to move his shirt up, needing to feel his skin on hers. This was happening, and she couldn't get enough of him. He cradled her in his embrace as they kissed, toying with the bra hooks on her back, waiting for her to make that final move. She was so soft under his touch, so perfectly melded to his body. In one fluid motion, she reached behind her and unhooked her bra as she let the garment fall to the floor and laid atop him on the bed.

He couldn't believe this was actually happening, his most recent fantasies coming true in one perfect evening. Shifting their bodies, he now rested between her legs, laying them more comfortably and fully on the mattress. He wanted to see her, watch her as they made this final connection. Her eyes were hooded, arousal filling the room. He gently unzipped her skirt, removing it with tender fingers. She licked her lips in anticipation, the build up was killing her. He removed his own pants, the only thing between them were her matching lace underwear, and his boxers.

He kissed her stomach, making his way back up her body. He could feel the goosebumps developing with each touch under his lips. Her hands found their way into his hair as he paid much attention to the rest of her, encouraging him to keep doing whatever the hell was making her feel this amazing. As he inched his way back up to nestle in the valley of her thighs, she felt his very prominent erection against her leg. Her eyes glanced down between their bodies, an eyebrow arching with question on how he got there so fast.

"I told you, you really should wear suits more often." He whispered into her neck, answering her silent challenge. She chuckled into his embrace, the last laugh escaping into his own mouth as his lips found hers again.

Mulder's thumb was stroking her hip, just below the waistband of her underwear. She understood what he was asking with his tender motions, he wanted her to be sure. Making the final move of assurance, she pushed her underwear down, locking his gaze as she did so. His boxers were discarded quickly, now nothing between them as his body covered hers.

He reached between them, feeling the gasp on his lips as it escaped hers when he found her sweet spot. He was pleasantly surprised that she was just as aroused and ready for this as she was. His long fingers begin stroking her, just one, then two. He watched as she was fighting for control, not wanting to give into the ecstacy filling her senses just yet. His rhythm increased as he curled his fingers inside her just right and this thumb found that bundle of nerves waiting to explode. His lips descended on hers just as she moaned out his name, catching each wave of her orgasm with her.

She laid there for a moment, completely sated, staring lovingly into his eyes. His hand now rested on her hip as he waited for her to catch her breath and come down from her high. He's never had that effect on someone before, perhaps he's never really been with the right person. She could see his thoughts begin to drift, reaching up to cradle his face and bring his lips to hers again. She was bringing him back to her, grounding him, the way he had always longed for.

The small moans of pleasure escaping both of them only sealed how much each of them wanted this. He settled himself between her more comfortably again, his tip teasing her center with a final question. She reached between their forms, stroking him a few times before leading him to her body. He entered her in one final moment of bliss, taking that last step between them to seal their relationship and validate the wordless love they shared for each other.

* * *

Blood. There was blood everywhere. He looked beside him, fumbling out of bed as her body was covered in her own blood. Her breasts were cut, her face slashed. He had a hunter's knife in his hand, one that he's used a few times as a kid during an Indian Guide camping trip. There was that same sticky, red liquid dripping from the knife. He looked at his hands as he threw the knife on the bed, seeing her blood covering him as well.

No, this can't be happening. As she laid there lifelessly, her red hair sprawled on the pillow beside where he lay. Her stomach was gutted, her eyes were cold, there was nothing left of her. Nothing but the shell of the woman who he just made love to.

The panic began to settle in his mind, the lump building in his throat. How could he do this to her? She was so strong, so powerful. He loved her, but something was in the back of his mind, doubting that she loved him. She was too smart to love him, knew that he could never measure up to her standards. He didn't deserve her, but he couldn't just let her go. This was how he made her his forever. The cry rose in his throat.

"Scully!" Mulder sat up abruptly, his chest rising and falling quickly as he tried to catch his breath. She startled awake, being knocked off his chest with his panicked motion.

"Sh, I'm right here." Her hand was stroking the side of his hair, the other resting on his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart.

"I thought you, I thought that I -" He was rambling, not able to make sense of what the hell just happened. He's had dreams before, usually the Samantha dream on repeat. His latest had been more pleasant, filled with Scully. This was one he never wanted to replay.

"Mulder, it was just a dream, I'm right here." Her voice was soothing, still husky from sleep. He pressed the pads of his palms into his eyes, trying to erase the images his mind created. All he could see was blood, her blood. He couldn't look at her.

He got up, ignoring her pleas to come back to bed. She was trying to calm him, comfort him. Her presence right now was doing more damage than good, but he didn't have the heart to kick her out. This was his problem, not hers. He threw on his basketball shorts and a t-shirt, making his way to the bathroom to splash water on his face.

She was confused, laying in his bed naked, still coming off the high of their evening together. There was mutual enjoyment, she knew that by the way he moaned her name into her mouth as he filled her. That was the first of three times. The last two were quick and needy. Once they had a taste, it's the only thing either of them craved.

The clock on the side of his bed read 6:24 am. How things changed in such a few short hours, she had no idea. It was the first time she couldn't read what was going on in his head, because he wouldn't look at her. The shame suddenly flushed through her as she brought the sheet up to cover her chest in a moment of modesty.

He felt like an ass when he re-entered the room and saw her sitting there, clutching the sheet with a confused look on her face. Now she wouldn't meet his eyes. It was probably for the best.

He grabbed a pair of socks from the drawer, no words available for him to explain what was going on. The image was so vividly in his mind, he couldn't be in that room. If he wanted to salvage anything of their relationship, he needed to leave and shake the dream from his memories.

She sat there quietly, watching him from her peripheral as he moved around the room. He had told her before that he often had nightmares from cases, or his sister's disappearance, but she had hoped that he would let her in. After everything they shared last night, she realized he had yet to allow her into his mind. He was closing himself off, protecting her from the demons he was facing. She wanted to hold him to her chest and wish them away, absorb some of his pain.

He turned as if to say something, words failing him as he stood there silently. She finally met his eyes, seeing the apology there, but not understanding where it was coming from. Did he regret last night? The fear rising in her heart.

Mulder left the room wordlessly, grabbing his running shoes from the living room and leaving. The tears stung her eyes as she heard the door shut behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

Mulder ran until he felt nothing but the stinging in his legs and the objections to move any further from every muscle in his body. He had never gone this far, he didn't even know where he was. He needed to not only run the memory of Scully's dead body that invaded his nightmare, but now the image of her sitting naked in his bed, the confused and hurt look in her eyes. She would never forgive him, never understand the horrific images in his mind. Perhaps that's why he often found himself alone, the temporary company of a few office women on several lonely nights. It's why Diana left, it's why Phoebe took advantage of him. His mind was a sacred place that no one should ever have to subject themselves to discovering.

There was a nervousness as he returned to his apartment, would she still be there? His shoulders slumped in defeat, she probably ran out of there as fast as she could. He couldn't blame her.

The silence surrounding him was suddenly deafening. He cautiously made way to his bedroom, seeing the rumpled sheets in the wake of her leaving. The pictures began flashing through his brain again like snapshots. Scully was there, naked, covered in her own blood. There was a sense of her belonging to him, though he felt undeserving. Mulder broke away to the living room, calling Reggie in almost a panic. He had his profile.

Other agents on the case had already gathered in the conference room. Reggie knew a Mulder breakthrough when he heard one. He had called his partner, rambling on about having the profile wrong, he understood now who this person was. Reggie only hoped it hadn't cost him as it had before. When he saw Mulder's semi disheveled appearance, the dark circles under his eyes, he assumed the worst. There was a moment of panic running through Reggie as he remembered the other call he made that morning after speaking with Mulder. The hard clacking of heels caused Mulder to pause, turning to see the familiar blue eyes staring back at him.

Scully took in his appearance, he looked tired and restless. He was still on edge, that much she could sense by the way his shirt was slightly unbuttoned at the top, his sleeves rolled up before he even made it to the office. She wanted to slap him and comfort him all at the same time. And for that, she hated him just a little bit more.

"I -" His voice cut off, he had no words. He had planned to work through this case, then plead and beg at her feet if she ever allowed him near her again.

Reggie sensed the tension, he knew that whatever caused Mulder's breakthrough was hurting them both. "I thought I would call Dr. Scully since we have a break in the case."

"I'd like to help in any way I can." She maintained a professional demeanor, her words clipped and precise. Her eyes told a different story, which was why she was avoiding Mulder's burning gaze with all her willpower.

With a simple nod, Mulder excused himself to the front of the room to begin the briefing. His nervousness amplified, his thoughts were bouncing around sporadically. He took a deep breath after clearing his throat, he could feel all eyes on him, but he only cared about one person's. Meeting her gaze just before he began to speak, he only hoped he could convey the apology she deserved.

"I want to start by saying I was wrong with my original profile." He paused, rearranging the papers in front of him. "Originally, it seemed like he hated women, was doing this as some sort of misplaced rage. He actually loves these women, making them his and only his. He feels undeserving of their love, threatened by their power and their ability to hurt him by rejection. We need to look for any connection between these women. They all knew him in some way or another, there's a common pattern we need to find. Look for churches attended, friend circles, gyms, frequented restaurants. I need anything." He let out a deep breath as the other agents began jumping into action. They split up into teams and dispersed from the room, leaving only a few lingering agents with him and Scully.

Reggie gathered the remaining group before she could object, not wanting to deal with this right now. It was too soon, too raw. She wanted to do what she always did, throw herself into work. It was slow at the hospital, but that's where her excess energy would be spent. She couldn't go home yet, she couldn't face her mother, or her sister. She checked in on her father through a brief phone call in the morning, changing at the hospital and checking in on the workflow.

"Scully…" Suddenly he was next to her, causing her to jump at the sound of his voice, and the close proximity of his body. She could still feel him on top of her, under her. The memory of the night they shared fresh in her mind. She had hoped that was the only memory she had of their time together. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Mulder, I understand." Her face turned away from him even more, barely presenting him with her profile.

"No, you don't." His shoulders slumped, praying to whatever god was out there that she would just look at him. "I'm so sorry, and I don't have an explanation for my behavior. It's not something I ever wanted you to experience, it's a part of me that I never wanted you to see."

Confused, she turned to look at him, really look at him. There were tears brimming his eyes, threatening to escape. Whatever demons he was fighting were a lot stronger than she originally anticipated. In her mind, he left after he got what he wanted. She knew there was more to it, but couldn't understand the trigger that caused him to flee. She desperately hoped that he would come back and they could talk after he had time to clear his mind, but when Reggie called, she knew their talk would be delayed. She never thought they'd be having it in an open conference room in the middle of the Hoover building.

"Mulder, what the hell happened this morning?" He finally met her eyes. Her voice was low, but non-threatening. She sounded genuinely concerned and now he was the one confused.

"I don't know. When I profile, my mind becomes theirs. I - I saw...you." He turned to gesture towards the board of victims. She looked startled at his implication, the mangled bodies she'd seen firsthand jumping out at her like a revelation.

"Oh, Mulder…"

"I couldn't get it out of my mind. I couldn't look at you and not see that. I'm so sorry." He shook his head, closing his eyes to fight back the tears.

A gentle hand touched his face, leading him to jump back in surprise. Her eyes were soft, caring. This wasn't what he was expecting. He didn't deserve her.

Didn't deserve her. Too powerful. It repeated over and over in his head.

Mulder fell into a chair behind him, seeing the images of Scully dead in his mind. He thought he ran them out, thought he could wish them away. He could hear her calling out his name, attempting to break him from the trance he was in. If only she could truly break whatever this curse was that he seemed to be blessed with.

"Mulder, are you okay?"

"I don't know." He shook his head, the palms of his hands pressing heavily into his eyes. "I can't escape the images of you, like that." His voice was barely audible, scared of his own words.

"How long does this last?" She was desperately trying to hold onto any branch he was willing to throw her way. She wanted to understand, wanted to comfort him without indirectly causing his distress.

"Sometimes just until he's caught, sometimes the nightmares replay over and over in my mind." He sounded defeated and her heart broke for him.

"Mulder, look at me." His head shook, eyes closed again. "Please." She squatted in front of him to capture his full attention. "I might need some time, to figure out everything that happened. But I need you to know that I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here."

That was all she could promise, still feeling the pain from his distance earlier that morning. His work was important to him, and she understood that, but she needed to know how personal he would make each case with her beside him. She never wanted him to look at her the way he had that morning. For her own sanity, she needed some semblance of control in this relationship, or whatever it was.

He finally met her eyes, seeing the tenderness in her gaze masking the underlying fear. She was scared, but not of him. He didn't understand, yet he knew exactly what she was asking. Time, she needed time and space to fully comprehend the complexity of his mind and the person that he was. But she was giving him a chance, something no one else had ever taken the moment to do. Diana fled, Phoebe tossed him to the side, and others played on his vulnerability. Scully was different. She wanted to understand him, wanted to know how his mind worked and help him through the pain. That's what they did for each other, brought just a little light into the darkness that consumed their lives.

He didn't have words, thanking her with his eyes. She smiled gently at him, running a quick, tender hand over the top of his head before leaving. Mulder's shoulders slumped, he had never had a relationship like this and didn't know how to be receptive to someone else's genuine love. If he were any other man, he'd be groveling at her feet with flowers and begging her to forgive him. But he was Spooky Mulder, and he had a serial killer to catch. Flowers might be a good start though.

* * *

Scully made her way to the hospital, the exhaustion already creeping up on her. She was emotionally and physically spent, having not slept much the night before. A small smile crept on her face as she remembered why.

"Well, I know that smile." Terri startled her with a teasing grin on her face. "So tell me, was it as good as I imagine it would be."

"It's not what you think."

"Please, I haven't seen anything put a smile on your face like that since he first came into the hospital." Scully continued to change into scrubs to avoid the interrogation. This was exactly why she didn't go home first, though she'd take Terri's teasing over her mother's and sister's questioning eyes.

"I'm not discussing this with you."

"Fine, you're lucky we had an accident, keep us preoccupied until I can bug you later." Terri said before making her way to the emergency area. Scully let out a heavy sigh, preparing for the busy day she was about to have.

The emergency room was buzzing with victims of a 5 car pile up and their families. Most were minor injuries and broken bones, some required surgery and a few stitches. The events occupied most of her afternoon and evening, the hunger starting to affect her ability to stand on her feet. Grabbing a quick salad from the cafeteria, she made way to her office to partake in a moment of solitude.

She was surprised to see flowers sitting on her desk, a tilt of her head in suspicion as to who sent them. There was a card attached, she really hoped they weren't from Josh. She thought she made it clear to him who she was involved with.

'Thank you for being here. -M'

A wide, toothy smile broke out on her face. He was trying. She couldn't fathom how he had any kind of mindset to send her flowers in the middle of his mental breakthrough, but she was grateful that he had. They were beautiful, orange and deep red mixture of fiery flowers.

"I didn't get that with my burger." Terri's voice broke her from her moment of bliss.

"I always tell you to get a salad instead."

"I hate to cut your break short, but we have an interesting case that just came through." Terri's eyes changed, something darker seeping into her mind. "It's bad, Dana."

"What happened?" They began walking briskly towards the chaos as Terri filled her in.

"A woman woke up to someone in her bedroom. She had mind to call 911, and the dispatcher only heard her screaming. They traced the call to her location, and found her like this and brought her in immediately. She's cut everywhere, lost a lot of blood."

Scully ran ahead, the fresh images of the other crime scenes in her mind. Was she connected, how was this woman still alive? Maybe his careful carving was interrupted by the sound of police sirens approaching.

"My god." She ran alongside the gurney as they moved the unconscious woman to the operating room.

"Will you be scrubbing in Dr. Scully? I sure could use the extra hands." Dr. Edwards asked, she could see the horror in his face. She simply nodded, promising to be in soon. She needed to call Mulder.

Pick up, pick up, pick up.

"Mulder."

"Hey, it's me." She paused, knowing they were in a current limbo with their personal lives. He probably thought she was calling to thank him for the flowers, but now was not the time.

"Oh, hey Scully. Uh, what can I do for you?" She would smile at his nervousness if there wasn't a live victim on the operating table.

"There's a woman who was brought in that matches the others. Mulder, she's alive."

"I'll be right there."

"I'll be in surgery when you get here, just wait in my office. I'll meet you there as soon as I have any updates for you."

"Scully..."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." His words had more meaning than just his thanks of her assistance. He meant it on another scale, one that she had yet to understand. She was healing his broken, abandoned soul.

* * *

Surgery lasted a lot longer than Scully expected, this poor woman was alive for the trauma and torture that she endured. Mulder must be going out of his mind waiting for details, she just wished she had more to give him. The surgery was similar to the autopsy she originally performed, though this time she was trying to save her. The woman's breast tissue was completely hacked off, there would be deep scars on her chest. It seems that this one fought a lot harder than the others, he only made a few deep gashes to her lower abdomen before his party was interrupted.

"Hey, sorry. It was a long surgery." She flashed him a tired smile as he stood from her desk chair with anticipation in his eyes. "It's the same guy, I'm sure of that."

"Was she awake when she came in?"

"No, she lost a lot of blood. It's a miracle she even made it through surgery. She's going to be monitored for a while to see if she pulls through. I'm sorry, Mulder. I wish I had more." There was a look of disappointment that flushed over her face, causing him to feel selfish. She was doing everything she could to help him through this, and she owed him nothing.

"I'm just glad she's okay. We'll figure it out when she wakes up. I have a team at the crime scene already, we put some things into motion right after you called." He stepped towards her, a gentle hand resting on her arm. "Thank you, for everything."

"I should be thanking you for my new desk decoration." Her eyes gestured towards the flowers, a shy smile present on his lips.

"It's my first step in a very large apology."

"You're doing pretty good so far." She felt her body lean into him automatically, being in his arms felt safe, despite their run in earlier in the morning.

"I should get back and recap with the team." They both let out a heavy sigh, knowing reality was waiting for them just outside the office doors. "We'll talk?" There was an undeniable hope at the end of his question.

"Later." She nodded in agreeance. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, playing with the new boundaries set between them. She smiled at his resistance, he was giving her the time she asked for.

Scully's evening was less adventurous after Mulder's case. The hours blurred and suddenly it was morning, just before it was time for her to leave. She wasn't exactly thrilled to be going to her parents' house, but she desperately wanted to check on her father. It was time for her to get her own apartment, the crowding more evident with visiting siblings scattered around. With Charlie finally coming in for the weekend, they would all be under the same roof again. A smile touched her lips, as insane as their family was, she was glad they could all come together when it mattered the most.

"Dana, you're home." Her mother greeted, surprised to see her.

"I do currently live here."

"I know, but you've been so busy at the hospital, I'm just glad you're here for a bit." Maggie smiled at her daughter, though there was a gleam of mischief in her eyes. She would never divulge that she sent Bill the night before to deliver dinner, and her youngest daughter was nowhere to be found, not even on the schedule for the evening.

"I wanted to check on Ahab." The nickname she used for her father was always something she held near and dear to her heart. The numerous readings of Moby Dick as a child resulted in the nicknames that they would later only call each other. She always had suspicions that her siblings were jealous of how close they were, but she prided herself in being the favorite.

"He's resting upstairs." Maggie smiled warmly, knowing Dana couldn't stay away long while her father was recovering. Wherever she was the other night, that would have to wait for an after dinner conversation. Maybe she would get Melissa to help her.

"Hey there, you managed to break free from the hospital?" Her father greeted her with a content smile bestowed on his face. Her doctor's eye told her that he looked a lot better, had more strength as he sat up in bed reading. She was taking in any other signs of distress and relaxed when she found none.

"I am done until this evening, it was a busy night and wrapping up my end of a case I was assisting on."

"A case? With the police?" Her father was suddenly more attentive, wondering what his beloved daughter had gotten herself into. She was safe at the hospital, saving lives like she was destined to do.

"No, with the FBI." Scully answered cautiously, her lips pursed in thought as to how much information she should divulge. "Do you remember Agent Mulder?"

"The man who was here, who worked Daniel's case." She nodded along with her father as they both remembered the breakfast that Maggie insisted on making a fuss over. William Scully knew his wife well enough to know it was a matchmaking meal of sorts, what he didn't know was that it apparently worked.

"Well, we...reconnected recently and he asked for my assistance with an autopsy."

"So you weren't out in the field or anything?"

"No, just doing the autopsy. But there was another victim who barely survived. I operated on her and handed over my findings. Until they need me again, I guess my part is done." She shrugged nonchalantly, hoping her father wasn't reading too much into her avoidance of the topic.

The FBI had shown interest in her while she was finishing her residency in med school. When she presented the idea to Daniel, he nearly laughed in her face and told her that's not what she was meant to do. He was already angry with her for switching to pathology, she didn't want to push him away further, though her interest was piqued. Working with Mulder satisfied a part of her that the hospital couldn't do. Sure, bandaging people up and having someone on her operating table was fulfilling, but it wasn't completely satisfying. She felt most at ease when they needed an autopsy and she felt as though she was doing some justice for the dead. She felt accomplished when her report findings helped bring someone in. It's something she knew her father would never understand, and disappointing him was not what she was setting out to do.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better every day." He smiled and accepted her change of subject. There was something else on her mind, that much he could sense. If he knew any of his children the best, it was Dana. No matter how hard she tried to suppress her feelings thinking she was benefiting everyone else, he could always read her. "Something else on your mind, Starbuck?"

"Hm? No, sorry. I guess I'm just more exhausted than I thought. I think I'm going to lay down for a bit." She placed a tender kiss on her father's cheek before making way to her room.

Scully plopped heavily on her bed, feeling the emotions of the last few days wash over her. She had a lot to think about, Mulder her main priority. He was right, that's not a way she ever wanted to see him, but it didn't frighten her as he imagined. She wanted to understand what was going through his mind, she wanted to comfort him and hold him until he believed that she was real and not going anywhere. There was trepidation in her mind of what other types of cases could do to him, but she wanted to be there to help him through them.

"Hello." She answered her phone flat toned, half awake and acting mindlessly as she roused from a short nap.

"Hey Scully, uh, bad time?" Mulder's voice on the other end caused her eyes to open fully, she was awake now.

"No, I was just resting." She cleared the sleep from her throat. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, I just wanted to let you know that we had a break in the case. I - uh, wanted to keep you informed." She smiled at his discomfort, she wanted to talk to him, too. There was no reason to call, and she had asked for space which he was desperately attempting to deliver.

"What happened?" Mulder could tell that she was giving him her attention, something he definitely felt he didn't warrant.

"When we interviewed her friends, they said she was complaining about some busboy at a local bar who repeatedly would attempt to pick her up. She refused each time he tried, and he would shout nonsensical things at her along the lines of 'you think you're perfect, that I don't deserve you.' Sound familiar yet?"

"It's getting there."

"Well, we went to the bar and interviewed the bouncers and bartenders. They recognized all of the other women and confirmed that they had been in several different nights. There's no connection between them other than the bar. We ran some credit card reports and they match."

"So we have the guy?" His heart swelled that she was including herself as part of the team. He wanted nothing more than to make her feel that she was just as essential as he saw her.

"We have a name. He didn't show up for his shift last night, and we've already been to his apartment. We are monitoring both sites, agents on stakeouts waiting for him to show up."

"More taxi drivers?" She teased, feeling the color rising in her cheeks in remembrance of their first meeting. Mulder grinned, leaning back against the seat of his car.

"Something like that. Though I don't think I'll be that lucky this time."

There was a silence that passed between them, establishing how they felt for one another without having to say the words. This was what they had become the best at. He understood that though she needed time to clear her mind about what happened, he was at the forefront of her thoughts. Scully knew that Mulder was going to give her anything she asked of him, she just needed to figure out what that was. Once she came to a conclusion, everything else fell into place. Suddenly Mulder was invited to dinner the following evening, knowing her mother would be cooking a feast with all her children under the same roof again.

"You're sure? I don't want to intrude, and I had a lot more on my apology tour." He was hesitant, now worrying that him not being able to restrain himself from calling her had pushed her towards something she wasn't ready for.

"I wouldn't invite you if I wasn't. My parents will be glad to see you again, and you can meet my brothers." She groaned, already visioning how that would play out. "Well, at least my sister likes you."

"That's really boosting the confidence here, Scully." She laughed in what felt like forever. He loved that sound, it's the only thing he ever wanted to make her do...smile. Images flooded his head of her wide, fearful and confused eyes earlier that morning. He shook them away, replacing them of the images of her smiling that thousand watt smile at him while she was pinned under his body. If there was a way to permanently have an image in his head, that would be it. Perhaps repeat performances boosted those graphics, he mused, smiling to himself.

"Please come, it will give you a lot of points off your apology."

"You're not going to make me work for it? I had things planned."

"Oh trust me, you're not off that easily." She teased back, no anger or fear lingering under her words.

"I'd love to."

"Perfect, I will follow up with you tomorrow with a time. I should be heading back downstairs." She sighed, now realizing that talking to him was the only thing she really wanted to do. She understood who he was, and why he did the things he did, but there was a darker part of him that she hoped to bring to the light.

Scully parted ways with Mulder, mustering up the energy to face her mother's questioning gaze and her sister's unfiltered mouth. Her brother Bill was much more the subtle type, until he had an opinion on the matter. She was almost glad Charlie wasn't here yet, she could handle him alone.

* * *

When Mulder arrived the following day for dinner, he was suddenly filled with new nerves he's never really experienced before. Though married, he only met Diana's family at the wedding itself. She never forced him to participate in vacations or visits, and he didn't offer. He was so overjoyed that Scully was even talking to him, his answer was immediate. He couldn't let her down, not again.

"Planning to stand there all night?" He jolted from his thoughts, realizing that he managed to get from the car to the door, but made no further move. Her eyes were welcoming, the smile on her lips reaching her gaze.

"Sorry, I - uh, it's good to see you." Remembering the flowers in his hand, he thrusted them towards him like an awkward teenager coming to pick up his date for prom. She laughed at his nervousness, appreciating the sentiment and understanding that this was a step for them both.

"Thank you, Mulder. I'm going to run out of vases if you keep bringing me flowers." She sniffed them, the aroma awakening her senses. He smiled coyly, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

Her face reddened immediately as she bit her lip to mask the smirk growing. This was going to be an interesting evening, especially if he remained as attentive as he was.

"You remember Melissa." She introduced as they passed through the living the room. "That's my younger brother, Charlie." Mulder shook his hand, making casual pleasantries. Luckily they were the only ones who saw the small display of affection. "This is my brother, Bill."

The taller man squared him up, looking him over as he straightened into his big brother stance. Mulder couldn't blame him, he didn't feel he deserved to be here either. He extended his hand in greeting, hoping to convey peace to the other man. Before Bill could make a comment, his father's hand clasped him on the back in a silent plea to back down.

"Agent Mulder, it's nice to see you again." William Scully took the offered hand Mulder dumbly remained holding out.

"Thank you for having me for dinner. How are you feeling, sir?" Bill was shocked that this stranger knew his father, let alone enough insight as to what was going on in their family. Dana glared at her brother before proceeding in the kitchen and smiling at her father as she passed. It was a thank you for making Mulder feel included, that much he knew.

"I'm slow moving, but I've got a good home care doctor." He winked at Scully and Mulder grinned, nodding in agreement. He remembered how attentive Scully was when he was recovering. Her cheeks pinked further, her family not knowing that she spent a majority of her pastime with him.

"Fox, it's nice of you to join us." Maggie made her way from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a towel before hugging him in greeting. He was taken back by the action. Affection was not something he was used to receiving.

"I really should thank you for having me."

"You're just in time, everything's just about ready." She smiled warmly at him, a knowing look in her eyes as she met her daughter's gaze.

They all set around the table, Mulder feeling uncomfortable in seating arrangements. Scully took her seat across from her sister, next to Charlie. Her parents on both ends of the table. Bill was seated next to Melissa. There was an open seat next to Scully, and another next to Melissa. He stood hesitantly as everyone settled in, finally seating himself between Scully and her mother. He felt a tender hand rest on his knee, giving it a light squeeze for reassurance. He turned and smiled at her, resting his hand over hers for a moment.

"So, Mulder, what kind of conspiracies are really going on over at the bureau?" Charlie asked, keeping the conversation lively. Mulder grinned as Scully rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She should have known these two would get along.

"Unfortunately I work in Violent Crimes, it's not exactly dinner conversation. But I've heard some stories from some other units." He chuckled at Charlie's over enthusiastic look of excitement.

"Violent Crimes?" Bill asked, slightly shocked. "How'd you meet Dana?" They both met eyes instantly, him asking how much of her situation she divulged to her family. He knew her parents were made aware of Daniel's crimes, but he didn't know if that extended to the family. She nodded as he silently asked whether or not she wanted to take this questioning. Her father watched this little play by play happen as they conversed without words.

"He - uh, he was handling Daniel's case." She cleared her throat. "I know I haven't discussed all the details because it's technically still active, but Daniel's actions fell within the jurisdiction of Violent Crimes. Mulder was very helpful through it all." She smiled at him as he took her hand again under the table.

Scully could feel all eyes on her, knowing that even her parents had more questions when it came to Daniel. All she had told them was that he was related to the murders and rapes happening, but hadn't disclosed the gruesome details of the bodies. Those details weren't even released to the public.

"Dana, why didn't you tell us?" Bill was suddenly angry that she chose to keep this information from her family, but chose to confide in this man that no one knew that well. He could see the strong connection between them, and he didn't like it.

"I couldn't talk about a lot of it, I still can't. It's a part of my past that I'm not proud of and that I am trying desperately to move on from, but -" Now Mulder furrowed his brow, not able to guess what was to follow. It was nothing he would have expected. "I was served yesterday and have to appear in court as a character witness for the plaintiff."

"What?" She winced as the word was repeated around her. Her mother and father were both wide-eyed, and she could feel Mulder's hand tighten around hers. He didn't want her anywhere near this.

"They hadn't contacted me before, but with his outburst in the holding cell, they must have assumed there were others similar to that occurrence." She shrugged off the accusatory stares, knowing each of them had more questions.

"When?" Mulder's voice lowered so that only she could hear him. She leaned in closer, their faces only inches apart.

"In two weeks. I meant to tell you, but things yesterday were -"

"I'm sorry." She shook her head as she leaned back to her space. Her family had already chose to move on with the conversation, discussing Charlie's work and Melissa's travels. They would discuss this with her later.

The evening went smoother as the conversation remained light. She was able to enjoy her time, and cherished that Mulder fit in so well with her family. Bill would need some convincing, but that wasn't anything new. Her father and mother took a liking to Mulder right away, something she wasn't accustomed to. They had protested every step of the way when she was involved with Daniel, and before that, her college boyfriend was never invited for dinner. There wasn't a reason she kept that part of her life private, but with Mulder it was different. They had met on such different circumstances, she was practically forced to accept him into her life. Not that she was objecting, she actually appreciated how well he got along with them.

"We should be heading up to bed, it's been a lot of activity for one day." Maggie announced after finishing in the kitchen. She insisted that everyone enjoy dessert in the living room while she cleaned up. "Fox, I do hope we'll see you soon." She hugged him again, the action not ever feeling common for him.

"I hope so, too." He nodded respectively towards William, taking his offered hand. He remained authoritative in stance, though soft around the eyes. Mulder relaxed as a slight smile crossed his face.

"Do you want to go outside for a bit?" Scully was standing next to him, looking up at him expectantly. There would be no privacy with the entire Scully clan present, and she wanted to speak with him alone. He nodded as she led him towards the front porch where there was a chair fit snuggly for two. She cuddled into his side as he wrapped the blanket around them.

"Thank you for coming, I know we can be a lot."

"It was actually fun. I've never had a large family."

"They liked you." Her voice was suddenly soft, not knowing if he would hear her assurance.

"I'm glad." She sighed as he understood. This was part of her thinking process, part of her forgiving him. He kissed the top of her head, not wanting to push any further. He was still giving her the space and time she asked for. "Though I think I need to work on Bill."

"He's always been a hard ass." She snorted in response. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about court."

"No, you're right. Yesterday was - I don't even know. A lot happened."

"They found me at the hospital, so Daniel knows I'm here now. I didn't want my parents bothered, so everything was put in the hospital address."

"That was probably smart, there's no knowing what kind of connections he has. You're safe at work." She bit her lip, he cared so deeply about her.

"You worried about me?" She lightly bumped his shoulder, a teasing tone to her words.

"Yes." He was completely sober, no hesitation in his response. He was worried about everything that he dragged her into, asking her to work on one of his cases while they were becoming closer. It was his own fault he couldn't separate his life and keep her away from the darkness that consumed his mind. Being with her in a casual setting had helped, she had more power to keep the demons away than anyone had had before. Perhaps it was because she genuinely cared about him. At least he hoped she still did.

"Mulder -"

"I know you asked for time to think, but I need you to know that I think I'm falling in love with you." He blurted, so lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't his intention, to bombard her with his feelings, but he couldn't control them. They were so jumbled in his mind with everything else, he needed to free the emotions.

She didn't react, she couldn't. Her entire self was frozen to the core. What had he just said? She must have heard him wrong. Just yesterday morning he couldn't even look at her after they slept together, and now he loved her? She didn't know what scared her more - the fact that he was putting these sentiments out in the universe, or the fact that she was starting to feel the same way.

There was still so much to learn about each other, she wanted him to open up to her. Mentally scoffing, that's exactly what she has heard from several boyfriends along the years about herself. She was always closed off, remained in her tight little bubble. It's how she prospered, though it was a rather lonely road. With Mulder it felt different, it felt...safe.

Finally regaining her composure, she made one quick move to turn her face towards him and wrap her hand behind his neck, pulling his head to her until their lips met. He was startled by the move, no doubt expecting her to flee. She was wondering herself why she wasn't running in the opposite direction. Regardless of what had happened before, this felt right. If she had to hold him and love him until all the darkness in his mind ran away to hide in the shadows, then that's what she would do.

"Scully -" He pulled back, needing to catch his breath. He wasn't anticipating the move, but he was damn glad. "I hope that's a positive response." She huffed a breathy chuckle, snuggling back into his embrace.

"I thought you were supposed to be good at putting the pieces together."

"I'm afraid to jump to conclusions here, Scully. I don't want to get my hopes up."

"I'd say your chances are pretty good." She teased, her eyes gleaming at him. "I do need a favor from you though." Her words became serious and she could read the trepidation in his gaze.

"Anything."

"I want you to let me in, when you're having a bad day on a case." Her hand halted his protests. "I know you have your ways of dealing with this, but I want to be part of that. If you need someone to talk it through with, or just need, need someone to comfort you...I want to be that person. I wanted to wait for you after you left in such a hurry. I wanted to talk, but I didn't know if I'd be welcome, and then Reggie called..." Her voice trailed off, realizing the commitment she was indirectly making.

"I couldn't subject you to what goes through my mind."

"You can't protect me from what's going on in the world, Mulder."

"No, but I can protect you from me." He was completely serious. Her brow furrowed in confusion, mouth agape as if to object. "You saw what happens when I enter the minds of these criminals. I become them, and I'm not exactly good company while I'm working a case. You shouldn't have to deal with that, you deserve better."

"I think I can determine what I deserve, and what I want." He was startled by her words, no one has ever fought this hard to have him in their lives. Not even his own family.

"You really mean that, don't you?" His entire body was facing her now, needing to read every emotion in her eyes. He needed to see the truth.

She smiled, moving forward to brush a chaste kiss on his lips before resting her forehead against his. He could feel the nod against his head, leaning towards her to capture her mouth with his own.

"I think you're getting it now." She teased when they reluctantly broke apart. Her cheeks tinged with color as the moment of remembrance came over her that they were making out like teenagers on the front porch of her parents' house.

"I just - I never imagined to have someone like you in my life."

"You really need to give yourself some more credit, Mulder." She placed another quick peck on his lips before separating from him further. "I should probably get back inside before they make up their own ideas about what's going on out here." She sighed, knowing at least one of her siblings was keeping watch.

"We could always give them something to talk about." He wagged his eyebrows at her, causing an eye roll in response.

"Go!" She shoved as she stood, him following the motion. "I'll see you soon?" There was a hopeful look in her eyes as she stepped into his arms. She realized they hadn't exactly established what they were, just that they cared deeply for one another. More than she had ever felt about anyone, but she didn't know if she was ready to admit that.

"Oh, uh, about that." Suddenly she was nervous and her eyebrow rose at his unease. "Well, we - I took a case out of town. I thought it would be a good idea to get away from everything and clear my head with a different case that you weren't involved in. That was before you invited me to dinner. I'm sorry, if I -" He was rambling, apologizing for something she didn't feel warranted an explanation. She understood, and wanted him to know that.

Her lips cut off his mumbled words and he relaxed into her touch. "It's okay, I understand."

"I'll miss you." The words escaped in a hushed whisper. She smiled and bit her lip.

"I will, too."

"Um, maybe you can feed my fish while I'm gone. It should only be a few days, a week tops." He was digging in his pocket and handed her a single key. "And, uh, feel free to stay there anytime you want."

Her eyes widened in response. He could feel her stiffen under his arms, pulling her in tighter towards him. This wasn't even on his radar of conversation topics for the evening, but it had been at the forefront of his mind since he accidentally proclaimed his love for her. When she cared for him and spent her evenings at his apartment, he never wanted her to leave.

"Th - thank you."

"Scully?"

"Yeah?"

He leaned down and kissed her, every emotion he wanted to convey was present in his kiss. She melted into his embrace, her arms slowly wrapping around his neck as he held her tenderly. There were a million things running through both of their minds, neither knowing how to handle this new situation. He groaned into her mouth at the incessantly ringing phone in his pocket.

"Mulder." He grumbled, frowning at the interruption. She chuckled at the sad puppy look on his face.

"Hey man, we caught him. He was on his way out of town, but we got him at the train station. They're bringing him in, but it's him." Reggie filled Mulder in on the details of the bust.

"That's great. Do you, uh, need me tonight?"

"Nah, we're briefing tomorrow at 9:00am. I'll see you then." Mulder felt the weight lift off his shoulders as he exhaled for the first time since this case started.

"They got him."

"It's over?"

"Yes, partially thanks to you."

"We make a pretty good team." The smirk appeared on her face, the double entendre not going unnoticed.

He matched the flirtatious expression on her face, winking as he whispered in her ear. "I can think of a few other things we're good at together."


End file.
